LAUSD Employees and Teachers to Strike Next Week, Shutting Down the Nation’s Second-Largest School System

Tens of thousands of workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District are set to strike for three days next week, and teachers have vowed to join them, likely shutting down the nation’s second-largest school system.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 announced Wednesday that 60,000 LAUSD employees, including teachers, aides, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff, will go on strike from Tuesday to Thursday.

The SEIU said that the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), which represents around 30,000 teachers, has promised not to cross picket lines. District Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a letter to parents Monday that if a strike were to occur the district would likely have to close schools, without virtual education, until the strike ends.

The strike is a result of stalled contract negotiations between the SEIU and the district. The union is demanding a 6.5% pay raise, smaller class sizes, and more support staff, among other things. The district has offered a 6% raise, but the union has rejected it.

The strike is set to have a major impact on the LAUSD, which serves over 600,000 students. The district is now scrambling to make contingency plans in case the strike does occur. It is unclear how long the strike will last, but it is likely to cause disruption to the school system for some time.