News Update

Labor unions clash over Los Angeles Unified’s additional days of instruction

Labor organizations are clashing over proposed changes to Los Angeles Unified’s academic calendar. LAUSD’s initial plan to add four optional instructional days to the school year first received push back from the teacher’s union. Now, SEIU Local 99 is pushing back on new changes made to accommodate United Teachers Los Angeles’ concerns.

According to the initial plan, which is still in place, the four optional school days are spread across Wednesdays throughout the school year, with the first one set to take place Oct.19. A compromise between LAUSD and UTLA would move those days to winter and spring break, shortening the lengthened school year and converting those Wednesdays to regular workdays. However, SEIU Local 99 is rejecting the proposal, citing frustration over the last-minute change.

“We believe that changing the school calendar eight weeks into the semester will be disruptive to students, families and workers at LAUSD,” executive director Max Arias said in a press release from the union. “A last-minute change to a calendar that was adopted by the Board of Education this past spring will do a disservice to the very students and families these acceleration days are intended to help.”

SEIU Local 99 estimates that nearly half of their members would not be available to work the acceleration days if moved because of prior commitments.

Though the decision to lengthen the school year was passed by the school board in April, official pushback from UTLA did not start until August when the union filed a complaint against the district for not engaging with its labor partners on the matter. UTLA members initially planned to boycott the first acceleration day, calling it a PR stunt, before reaching the compromise with LAUSD. However, the agreement still awaits a vote from the school board.

“Los Angeles Unified looks forward to finalizing an agreement that supports the most fragile students, and works for those who provide leadership, instruction and support services to students on a daily basis,” LAUSD wrote in a statement last week after the changes were proposed.