As U.S. Supreme Court Case hears case aimed to weaken unions, union workers rise-up for good jobs, quality education
Los Angeles, CA – Cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other dedicated school workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced today that they will be taking a vote to authorize a strike to protest the school district’s unfair practices and bad faith bargaining. Voting is scheduled to take place from March 12 through March 24, 2018 at hundreds of schools and worksites throughout LAUSD. If all avenues in the collective bargaining process are exhausted, a strike could come as early as this school year.
Nearly 30,000 school workers who perform essential student services at LAUSD have been in contract negotiations with the school district since March 2017. Despite nearly a year of bargaining, no significant movement has been made on key issues, including wages and staffing shortages. In fact, SEIU Local 99 has filed charges against the District for bargaining in bad faith.
Charges filed by union members with the Public Employment Relations Board stem from the District’s decision to abruptly begin cutting the hours of Special Education Assistants even as they were negotiating over staffing and work hours. The sudden cuts have led to a disruption of services to special needs students.
Union members have also been strongly advocating for increased staffing of custodial staff. LAUSD is knowingly operating at substandard staffing levels for custodians, resulting in dirty schools and locked bathrooms. By LAUSD’s own admission, schools are staffed at 50% of the necessary levels.
Wages have also been a key sticking point as the District has refused to budge off a 2% wage increase. A majority of impacted workers at LAUSD are women, Black and Latino. 70% are graduates of LAUSD schools. And more than 50% are parents of LAUSD students. Low wage, part time work impacts students as parents struggle to provide economic stability for their families.
The Public Employment Relations Board has issued two complaints against LAUSD for interfering in workers’ rights to advocate for improved jobs and staffing. Stalled talks and retaliation and threats against union members have prompted SEIU Local 99’s bargaining team to consider a strike.
“Our goal is to secure a fair contract. We want good livelihoods for the dedicated school workers who help our children learn. And we want staffing levels that ensure every child has the support and services they need to succeed,” said Tanya Walters, SEIU Local 99 Vice President and LAUSD Bus Driver. “Let me be clear: we do not want to strike. Throughout this process we will continue to negotiate with the District. But we need real solutions now and we are willing to take bold actions. Our families’ livelihoods are at stake. Our children’s education is at stake.”
The school workers’ announcement of strike plans came on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court began to hear arguments in Janus v AFSCME, a case that aims to weaken workers’ power to negotiate strong union contracts and advocate for improved public services. LAUSD school workers joined with thousands of workers around the country as part of the #WeRise movement to demand the good, union jobs America needs.
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SEIU Local 99 is a union of 35,000 education workers in K-12 schools, early education centers and homes, administrative offices, and community colleges throughout Southern California, including 30,000 cafeteria workers, special education assistants, custodians, bus drivers and others providing essential student services at LAUSD schools. Nearly 50% of SEIU Local 99 members are also parents or guardians of school-aged children. 70% of SEIU 99 members are graduates of LAUSD schools and a great majority are members of the predominantly Black and Latino communities they serve.
