Los Angeles, CA – As school workers in California’s largest school district continue voting this week to authorize a strike, California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon has written a letter to School Board President Monica Garcia urging LAUSD to negotiate in good faith to avoid a strike. “A strike of this magnitude would not only adversely affect labor and management but more importantly, the students,” writes Senator De Leon.
“The fact that after a year of collective bargaining negotiations there is still no agreement between the LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 is very concerning to me, particularly when it appears that the absence of an agreement has promoted the leadership of SEIU Local 99 to call for a strike vote … I would strongly urge LAUSD to continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair agreement, with all due urgency to avert a strike.”
Senator De Leon adds his name to a growing list of state legislators urging LAUSD to reach an agreement with members of SEIU Local 99 that will avoid a strike. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Assembly Member Mike Gipson, and Assembly Member Chris Holden on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus have all written letters to the school board.
Nearly 30,000 LAUSD school workers who provide essential student services, including cafeteria workers, custodians, special education assistants, bus drivers and others, are voting March 12 through March 23, 2018 to decide if they will authorize a strike. After a year of negotiations, 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. If workers vote to authorize a strike, and all legal avenues in the collective bargaining process are exhausted, a strike could come as early as this school year.
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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.
