Union officials representing service workers for the Los Angeles Unified School District on Sunday, March 19, announced planned picket lines as hopes fade for a last-minute deal to avoid a potentially crippling strike that would shut down campuses for three days starting Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a group of district employees, parents and students took to the streets outside the district headquarters Saturday to emphasize their concerns about the size of classes and a “living wage” for the non teaching staffers who are expected to be on the picket lines starting this week.
Officials for the Service Employees International Local 99 union —representing roughly 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other workers — said Saturday they were “moving forward with plans to strike” Tuesday through Thursday to “protest the school district’s unfair practices.”
The union’s announcement came one day after the district filed a legal challenge with the state Public Employment Relations Board seeking an injunction that would halt the strike, alleging that it is illegal. The challenge questions the legality of the labor action and cites the timing, which would occur before the typical bargaining procedure has been completed.
It is unclear if or when the board will consider the request.
“Yesterday, even as the school district filed charges, they presented SEIU Local 99 with an updated contract offer,” the union said Saturday. “Members of our bargaining team had not even had time to review it or consult with other members before the district shared it publicly with the media. We will not negotiate publicly.
“LAUSD does not seem to be acting in good faith.”
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said LAUSD officials were prepared to talk, and even potentially sweeten their most recent compensation and benefits offer, but union officials said they are waiting for a state mediator to schedule new talks.
Meanwhile, the…
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