SEIU members in the Los Angeles region, including SEIU Local 99, Local 721, Local 1000, United Long Term Care Workers Union, United Service Workers West, and United Health Care Workers West have voted to endorse Monica Garcia (District 2), Steve Zimmer (District 4) and Antonio Sanchez (District 6) for the Los Angeles Unified School Board. Incumbents Garcia and Zimmer were previously endorsed by SEIU.
“Many SEIU members are also LAUSD parents who are deeply concerned about school quality,” said SEIU Local 99 Executive Director, Courtni Pugh. “Our decision was driven by both the need to improve our children’s education and to protect and expand good jobs in our communities. We believe that Monica Garcia, Steve Zimmer and Antonio Sanchez share a commitment to improving our neighborhood schools and they understand that when parents have good jobs, children have the stability they need to learn.”
SEIU Local 99 represents more than 30,000 cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, special education assistants and other classified employees working in LAUSD. In addition, SEIU California has thousands of members’ children enrolled within the Los Angeles Unified School District. “This race is critically important to our families as both workers in the District and parents. School Board members will make decisions on funding, educational reforms and other issues that will have a deep impact both on our livelihoods and our children’s future. It is important for us to elect board members who understand that education must include the whole community.”
“These candidates demonstrate a real appreciation for the role that student services workers play in a child’s learning,” added Pugh. “A student can’t learn if a classroom is dirty or a child is hungry or school buses don’t arrive on time. Garcia, Zimmer and Sanchez understand that classified employees are an essential part of the educational community that helps our children succeed.”
As part of the endorsement process, SEIU members invited candidates to attend a town hall, where members heard from the candidates and then asked each of them specific questions about their policy, labor, and budget priorities. With their endorsements, SEIU is committing to campaign efforts that will include phone banks and door-to-door voter outreach.
“Thousands of SEIU members throughout Los Angeles County will work as a united force for education in this election. For us, this is about defining the future of our schools and the quality of our communities,” added Pugh.
The primary election for these seats will take place on March 5, 2013.
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SEIU unions in the Los Angeles region represent more than 300,000 workers providing essential services in schools, colleges, hospitals, state offices, building maintenance, security, and in-home supportive services.