LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Schools in Los Angeles were closed Tuesday as Los Angeles Unified School District workers kicked off their three-day strike after reaching an impasse in labor negotiations.
The demonstration started at the Van Nuys Bus Yard at 4:30 a.m. as Service Employees International Union Local 99, the union representing 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other workers, picketed. United Teachers Los Angeles joined in solidarity.
SEIU Local 99 is asking for a 30 percent raise as well as more staffing.
Brandon Riley, a transportation representative for the union, said this has been a long time coming.
“It’s been a long time coming for these drivers,” he told KNX News. “They’ve been working day in and day out. They wanna get to better rate, better pay for their families.”
At Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, the unions held a press conference where Rep.. Adam Schiff led his support to the union.
"What SEIU 99 is asking for their workers is reasonable," he said. "$36,000 a year, even that is a struggle.”
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced late Monday that schools would be closed due to the strike.
“Despite our invitation for a transparent, honest conversation that perhaps would result in a meaningful solution that would avoid a strike, we must formally announce that all schools across LAUSD will be closed to students tomorrow,” he tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Carvalho said he was “optimistic” that a deal could be reached.
Hours later, union officials said school district leaders broke the confidentiality of a planned meeting after and that the strike would proceed.
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"Unfortunately, LAUSD broke that confidentiality by sharing it with the media before our bargaining team, which makes all decisions, had a chance to discuss how to proceed,” union Executive Director Max Arias said. “This is yet another example of the school district's continued disrespect of school workers. We are ready to strike. We want to be clear that we are not in negotiations with LAUSD.”
LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg admitted she was the one who leaked the announcement, adding that she didn’t know the union thought it was a secret. according to KCAL.
"I was proud that they were coming to the table for mediation," she said.
"I wanted to congratulate them.”
Carvalho shared on Twitter that the district is "ready to return to negotiations with SEIU Local 99 so we can provide an equitable contract to our hardworking employees and get out students back in the classrooms."
Resources for impacted students, including food and academic programs, have been offered by the city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks as well as the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
City News Service contributed to this article.
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