Students will suffer if employees strike
Employees with the Los Angeles Unified School District are alleging unfair labor practices and wages; as a result, they plan to strike this week, unless a resolution can be reached.
In a statement issued on Sunday, representatives of the nation’s second-largest school district said the outstanding issues “could be resolved if both sides entered into good faith discussions between then and Tuesday.”
Workers planned to begin their three-day strike today if a resolution cannot be reached before then.
Service Employees International Union, Local 99, represents about 30,000 teachers’ aides, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other support staff, all of whom plan to participate in the strike. United Teachers of Los Angeles, the union representing 34,000 LAUSD teachers plan to honor the picket lines, according to a news report.
While it’s clear that there are issues that must be addressed within the district, a strike would impact hundreds of thousands of students as schools close and would offer limited academic and meal plans.
“District officials said they are waiting on a state labor Board to make a final decision by possibly Monday on whether the potential strike is legal,” the news report said.
Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho continues to appeal to union leadership to try to negotiate.
“We should not be depriving our students of an opportunity to learn,” he said in the news report. “We can find a solution that dignifies our workforce and avoids unnecessary shutdown of schools while protecting the long term viability of the school system.”
Meanwhile, as Carvalho continues to try to get everyone to the negotiating table, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced her support for district families if schools do close.
She intends to provide safe places and meals for students, so parents can keep working. However, the district is urging parents to prepare for the potential shutdown.
Companies that have employees willing to strike need to pay close attention to the reasons behind their actions — and take every step possible to not only address the issues, but fix them.
A strike at LAUSD could put students even further behind than they already are after schools shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand the need for a workplace that adheres to the law when it comes to fair wages and labor practices and it’s important that employees are treated fairly.
It’s unfortunate that in this situation, the students of LAUSD will be the ones adversely affected in the long term, long after the employees and district have come to an agreement.