Demonstrations, protests mark first day of LA school strike
Hundreds of thousands of students were out of school today in Los Angeles as the country's second largest district ground to a halt. The union representing bus drivers, maintenance workers and other support staff began a three-day walkout, and the union representing the city's teachers joined the strike in solidarity.
The protests began early as drivers and supporters gathered before dawn at the Van Nuys school bus depot.
"I love that everybody came out, even in the rain, to support this," said Maria Betancourt, a bus driver. "We need everybody to come out."
The strike comes after more than a year of negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, over pay and health benefits.
"We understand the plight, the frustration and the realities faced by our workforce members," Carvalho said Monday evening. "We're willing to work with them, but the way we find a solution is by having a partner at the table to actually negotiate possible results."
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 represents traditional service employees like custodians and cafeteria workers, along with more specialized positions such as special education assistants. Despite the critical roles these workers play in the operation of a school, the union says the average salary of its members in the district is $25,000 per year, with many of these employees working part time.
The SEIU is demanding a 30% increase in base salary over four years. The district administration has agreed to a 23% raise over a five year period, along with bonuses, but the union has not responded to the past three offers.
Many of its members feel a lack of respect from the district's leadership. "I don't think they want to listen to us ... to our needs," said Betancourt.
A few hours later, the union's Executive Director Max Arias, echoed those concerns at a demonstration outside Robert F Kennedy Community School in Koreatown. "If LAUSD truly values and is serious about reaching an agreement," he said, "they must show workers the respect they deserve."
Yolanda Mimes Reed, a special education assistant who attended the rally in Koreatown, says she works four jobs in order to afford to live in Los Angeles. "I work for in-home support services, I do hair, and I also have an online boutique," she said.
To her, the pay increase in the union's demands would make a huge difference. "It means being out of below the poverty line. And it means letting go of one of those jobs so I don't have to be working all the time. I can spend some time with my family."
The majority of LAUSD's 420,000 students are from families who live at or below the poverty line, and depend on schools for far more than just classroom instruction. District officials are working with the city and local volunteers to provide students with breakfasts and lunches, as well as to help families with child care for working parents during the planned three-day walkout.
This is the second strike in the school district in four years. In 2019, the United Teachers of Los Angeles, or UTLA, went on strike for six days before reaching an agreement. The union says it is standing in solidarity with SEIU this week, while also continuing its own contract negotiations with the district.
Among the teachers' demands is a similar wage increase and a cap on class sizes. So far, the district has not given much – citing concerns over its finances.
Carvalho, the former Miami-Dade superintendent who came to Los Angeles 13 months ago, says the district, with its $14.8 billion operating budget – is existing in a financial bubble right now. Enrollment is declining, it's hard to keep teachers' positions filled, and in a few years the padding of COVID relief money will be rolled back.
Carvalho says he's fighting to protect the district's financial security. union leaders say they're protecting their members who, in many cases, struggle to make ends meet despite working jobs that clearly keep LAUSD running.
And, stuck in the middle are the students and parents who'll be scrambling today.
Produced by: Liz Baker
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Transcript
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Hundreds of thousands of students are set to stay home today in Los Angeles as the school district halted normal operations.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The union representing bus drivers, maintenance workers and other support staff is launching a three-day strike, and the teachers are also staying out of school.
INSKEEP: NPR's Sequoia Carrillo is in Los Angeles. Good morning.
SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: Who's affected?
CARRILLO: So families are really going to be affected on all sides today. The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second-biggest school district in the country, with over a thousand schools in operation and more than 400,000 students, the majority of whom live at or below the poverty line and depend on schools for far more than just classroom instruction.
INSKEEP: Sure.
CARRILLO: So today, even though schools will be closed, community members and the district know the stakes for many of the students. And they're working with the city and local volunteers to get students things like bagged meals, as well as get child care for working parents. On top of that, there are, of course, scheduled demonstrations all over the city. I'm heading out this morning to the bus depot where members of the Service Employees International Union are starting a picket line at 4:30 a.m. That's when school buses normally start their day. But today, they're not leaving the depot. There are also rallies at schools and at the district's headquarters as well.
INSKEEP: Well, what are the workers who will be on those picket lines demanding?
CARRILLO: So to understand how we got here, we need to understand who is striking, I think. The SEIU represents the support staff of schools, so people like custodians, special education assistants, campus aides, even, like, playground supervisors. These are critical roles that we often don't think about in the operation of a school. But their average salary at LAUSD is about $25,000 per year, with many working part-time. Bottom line, they're asking for a 30% pay raise over four years, and the district has agreed to a 23% raise over a five-year period with bonuses. But the union hasn't responded to the district's last three offers.
INSKEEP: Well, why would they not?
CARRILLO: They haven't exactly said why, but it's been a very long and drawn-out fight, and they've suggested in the past that they feel disrespected. But on the other side of this negotiation is the current superintendent, Alberto Carvalho. He's been negotiating with the union for more than a year, all the way up until late last night. I spoke with Carvalho yesterday evening, and he said he wasn't leaving the office anytime soon. He's hoping that sometime over the next three days he can come to an agreement with the union and hopefully shorten this strike.
INSKEEP: Although, even if he does shorten the strike, doesn't he also have a problem with LA's teachers?
CARRILLO: I wouldn't call it a problem quite yet, but the teachers did have a strike back in 2019 that lasted much longer than this one. It was about six days, and this was prior to Carvalho's tenure. But they're now negotiating a new contract, and they're asking for similar wage increases as the SEIU. But so far, the district hasn't given much, citing concerns over their finances.
INSKEEP: Well, what is the financial condition?
CARRILLO: When I spoke with Carvalho, he said LAUSD is existing in a bit of a financial bubble right now. They've had this COVID relief money - federal dollars - for a while, but enrollment is decreasing year over year. It's also hard to keep teachers' positions filled. And Carvalho says he's protecting the longevity of the district with these negotiations. Union leaders say they're protecting their members who, in many cases, are living below the poverty line, despite working clearly important jobs. And unfortunately, stuck in the middle are the students and parents who'll be scrambling today.
INSKEEP: NPR's Sequoia Carrillo in Los Angeles, thanks so much.
CARRILLO: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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