L.A. MAYOR MEDIATING SCHOOLS STRIKE TALKS

As the Los Angeles Unified School District strike that has shut down campuses continued for a second day — with the possibility of future walkouts a reality — Mayor Karen Bass stepped in Wednesday to talk with union and school leaders to offer “assistance and support,” the district reported.

The district’s update, posted on social media, revealed few specific details and gave no indication that the third scheduled day of the strike today could be prevented.

“District officials have been in conversation with SEIU Local 99 leaders with the assistance and support of Mayor Karen Bass,” the update began. “We continue to do everything possible to reach an agreement that honors the hard work of our employees, corrects historical inequities, maintains the financial stability of the District and brings students back to the classroom. We are hopeful these talks continue and look forward to updating our school community on a resolution.”

The walkout is being led by Local 99 of Service Employees International Union — which represents the school system’s lowest-paid workers and whose members include bus drivers, teacher aides, special-education assistants, custodians and food-service workers. United Teachers Los Angeles urged its members to join in the strike — an action of solidarity that led to the closing of campuses.

Max Arias, the executive director of Local 99, expressed optimism in a statement but gave no indication the strike would end early, and plans were moving forward for picketing and continued school closures today.

“We are grateful that the Mayor has stepped in to provide leadership in an effort to find a path out of our current impasse,” Arias said. “Education workers have always been eager to negotiate as long as we are treated with respect and bargained with fairly, and with the Mayor’s leadership we believe that is possible.”