The Los Angeles Unified School District’s last-ditch legal effort has failed to postpone a three-day strike and school closures slated for Tuesday, but district officials indicated Sunday that their case is still being considered by a state labor board and that a judgment may come as soon as Monday.
L.A. Unified has maintained that the strike by Service Employees International Union Local 99 was unconstitutional, claiming that the union’s official reasoning was not the true reason for the walkout. Local 99 claims the strike is to protest the district’s claimed unfair labor practices; L.A. Unified claims the action is to pressure the district to enhance its salary offer.
The school district had filed an injunction from the California Public Employment Relations Board to suspend or prevent the strike, which was denied. Local 99 declared victory in the court battle on Sunday.
The ruling by regulators on Sunday “confirms that workers have the right to protest against the school district’s threats and harassment,” said Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias. “They will press ahead with plans to strike this week. Their voices will not be drowned out.”
According to district officials, the case is still open. “The PERB Board has directed their Office of General Counsel to expedite the processing of the district’s underlying unfair practice charge against SEIU Local 99, which alleged that SEIU and its members were engaging in an unlawful 3-day strike,” district officials said in a statement issued on Sunday. “Contrary to SEIU’s allegations,” the situation has not yet been resolved, according to the statement.
United Teachers Los Angeles is not organizing the strike, but it has actively encouraged its 30,000 members to participate.
Labor board won’t halt LAUSD strike for now, but could still act after a Monday review https://t.co/PB7NRTo8Ri
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2023
Officials with the Los Angeles Unified School District said they have no choice but to “continue to prepare for the unpleasant reality of school closures and remain available to discuss a resolution to the lingering issues, which we believe might be resolved…between now and Tuesday.”
With a three-day strike looming, district administrators, union members, and 420,000 kids’ families prepared and mobilized for huge disruption in the nation’s second-largest school district on Sunday.
The school system released important information on child care, student meals, and academics on Sunday. There will be no courses if there is a strike. Schools will be closed to children, with the exception of limited child care on some campuses, because officials say they cannot ensure appropriate monitoring.
But, the district is asking any willing employees to report for duty for their regular work day — even if they will most likely not be performing their typical jobs.
Meals for students With 80% of pupils coming from low-income households, the school system plays a critical role in providing breakfast, lunch, and occasionally dinner Monday through Friday.
Similar meals will be available on a limited basis in the future. On Tuesday only, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., families will be able to pick up packed lunches from around two dozen locations across the huge school system. On each of the three strike days, each family can receive six meals per student — breakfast, and lunch.
During the epidemic, the district distributed a large number of meals. The workers that provided the backbone of such aid, including cafeteria and central kitchen workers, will be on strike this time. Bus drivers, teacher aids, security aides, and custodians are also represented by Local 99.
Volunteers Are Welcome to Assist With Food Distribution at L.a. Unified
“We intend to deploy 15 to 20 volunteers at each site to assist L.A. Unified teams, City of Los Angeles officials, and other municipalities.” according to volunteer information available online. “Volunteers will be doing physical labor and standing for the duration of the event. As we confirm their activation, we will notify you with logistical information.”
“Your dedication to this work is crucial,” according to the advice. “If you are unable to volunteer the entire time, please do not sign up for this chance.”
The Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, the Glassell Park Recreation Center Complex, the Boys & Girls Club Mar Vista Gardens Branch, Salt Lake Park in Huntington Park, and the Wilmington Recreation Center are among the locations.
Child Care Services
During the three-day strike, nonprofits, sporting leagues, community groups, and other government bodies fought to expand their hours and offerings.
L.A. Unified looked to be sidelined from a direct role at first, other than calling for assistance and sending support that included packed food.
But, dozens of campuses — out of the school system’s 1,000 — will provide monitoring between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Beyond the Bell, employees will be in charge of this supervision, which normally involves activities and homework monitoring from the conclusion of the school day until 6 p.m. A district map shows the locations where students will be accepted.
The same map shows the locations of 18 Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation sites that will provide a drop-in program with balls and equipment for checkout as well as an open gym from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. County locations close 30 minutes earlier than school district locations. Where available, county sites will provide access to computer laboratories for students to complete school tasks.
Both the district and county sites will serve meals. It is first come, first served. There is one major limitation to the daycare options.
This supervision is on a first-come, first-served basis. After capacity is achieved, families will be turned away or referred to another location. The capacity has yet to be determined by officials. Getting in on the first day does not guarantee a spot on the second or third day.
The location map is color coded. The county sites are green, whereas the district sites are blue. When a site is full, the pin is expected to turn red, however how soon workers on site can submit a report to update the map will determine this. The parameters of various programs vary.
Libraries
Libraries in the public domain Students are welcome in the county library. “The library is here to assist learning throughout the closure by providing computers, books, and materials access, events, and academic support,” stated marketing director Jessica C. Lee.
“We urge that parents and carers use careful judgment when deciding whether or not their child or teen may work at the library without parental supervision,” Lee added. “Library employees are not responsible for the supervision of youngsters who have been left unattended at the library by their parents.” Some locations are not open until 10 a.m. or noon. Some are open later than school district locations.
Academics
There is almost an overdose of information posted online and activity packs available for families to take home for youngsters who want to keep engaged with homework — especially if they have internet access. All of the work is optional and will not affect a student’s grade.
School board President Jackie Goldberg expressed confidence that teachers will prepare particular, grade-level assignments for children. Some district authorities appear to be less certain, which explains the extensive list of online resources and activities.
The SAT college entrance exam, which was set for next week, has been delayed for the first week after spring break Local 99 had no scheduled negotiations with the school district prior to the strike, although teachers union negotiators met with the district team on Friday and Saturday until 8 p.m., according to L.A. Unified. “Both teams are working hard to establish a fair arrangement,” the school system said in a statement Sunday.