L.A. Teachers Go on 3-day Strike as SEIU Rejects 23% Raise

The SEIU workers represent support staff in the school district, the nation’s second-largest. The teachers themselves went on strike in 2019, leaving schools closed for days, ultimately accepting a 6% pay raise.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the SEIU workers are demanding, and rejecting, a more ambitious hike:

District officials increased their offer in a series of moves over several days. By Saturday, the offer was, according to the district, a cumulative 23% raise, starting with 2% retroactive as of the 2020-21 school year and ending with 5% in 2024-25. The package also includes a one-time 3% bonus for those who have worked since 2020-21, along with expanded hours, more full-time positions and improved eligibility for healthcare.

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The union, which represents some of the district’s lowest-paid workers, includes bus drivers, teacher aides, special education assistants, security aides, custodians and food-service workers.

The LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the nation. It includes over half a million students, including some 420,000 children who will be affected by the strike. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass announced Sunday that the city will try to help children and their families so that parents can continue working and that students, many of whom receive their meals through the schools, will remain fed throughout the three-day duration of the strike.