Cristell Morales, an SEIU 99 Member and Beyond the Bell Worker at Starr King Middle School says expansion of the supper program is great for students and workers.
Thanks to SEIU Local 99’s work with LAUSD Board Member Bennett Kayser and the District, LAUSD will be expanding its’ after school supper program. It means thousands more students will be receiving a nutritious meal and the District will increase work hours and add new cafeteria and Beyond-the-Bell jobs. It also means the District will get an extra $16.6 million to support more cafeteria jobs and programs.
“I know that for some students, the meals they get in school are practically their only meals of the day, said Cristell Morales, an SEIU Local 99 Member and After School Worker at Thomas Starr King Middle School. “There is no dinner when they get home …That is why it is so important that our union is working with LAUSD to expand the after school supper program … When students are hungry, they can’t focus on their education, on sports, on anything.”
Under the District’s plan, the supper program will expand from serving 70,000 to more than 95,000 students. The current program, in place at 584 schools, will continue to serve fresh prepared meals through the 2015-16 school year. Hot meals will be phased-in during the 2016-17 school year. Next school year, the District expects to add 584 new Local 99 Beyond-the-Bell after school program workers. As the hot meal program is phased-in, it will mean 584 new cafeteria worker jobs and increased work hours for 786 Local 99 cafeteria workers.
That’s our union strength at work!
