From NOTICE News Daily for March 23, 2023
Students in Los Angeles got a three day break—because school support staff went on strike and teachers joined them.
MORE INFO:
Some 30,000 education workers backed by the teachers’ union walked off the job for a three-day strike in Los Angeles on Tuesday, canceling school for nearly half a million students in the second-largest school district in the United States. >> Full story
- Go deeper: The massive Los Angeles public school worker strike, explained (Left-leaning Vox)
- For background: The History of Unions in the United States (Investopedia)
- In their words: Why the union says they are striking, and answer other questions
- Opinion: Why I’m on strike with other Los Angeles school workers (USA Today)
TRANSCRIPT
In March, a strike left schools closed in Los Angeles for three days straight.
SOT: “They can’t get off their butts and negotiate and get this done.”
That’s a teacher in L.A. out in support of education workers, whose union began the three-day strike on March 21st to demand higher wages.
Around 30,000 education workers have walked off the job in the nation’s second-largest school district, canceling classes for nearly half a million students.
The striking workers include bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and class assistants. The union says the average salary of its members is just $25,000, and they want a 30% raise—and an extra $2 per hour for the lowest-paid workers.
The service workers’ demands are backed by the L.A. Teachers’ Union, which refuses to cross the picket line—meaning they won’t work either. Experts say education workers have been experiencing high levels of burnout and frustration over low pay.
And they’re not alone.
A survey from last year by the National Education Association found that 55% of educators are considering leaving teaching altogether – and 86% of them have seen colleagues quit since the pandemic started.
The L.A. school district is offering a 23% raise with a 3% bonus.
Thursday, March 23rd was set to be the last day of the strike.
