A major strike is scheduled for next week as tens of thousands of LA school workers seek a living wage.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

“A three-day walkout planned by Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and school staff is looming and set for next week.

The anticipated walkout would be the longest full disruption of education in the nation’s second-largest school system since the six-day teachers’ strike of 2019 and upend a school system trying to recover from the pandemic.

The strike would shut down schools attended by more than 420,000 students.

Here is what you need to know.

When would the walkout occur?

It would start Tuesday and extend through Thursday of next week.

Who would participate?

The walkout would include as many as 65,000 workers.

The walkout would be led by Local 99 of SEIU. Local 99 represents about 30,000 workers including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria and other food service workers, campus security aides, teaching assistants and aides for students with disabilities.

Local 99 would be joined in a solidarity strike by UTLA, which represents 35,000 teachers, counselors, therapists, nurses and librarians.

What are the issues?

Leaders of Local 99 recently declared an impasse in bargaining and are moving through the mediation and fact-finding process. The union, which has yet to settle wage issues dating to the 2020-21 school year, is seeking a 30% increase for all members, with an additional boost for the lowest-wage workers.

The district is offering a 5% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2021, an additional 5% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2022, and a 5% wage increase that would take effect on July 1, 2023. In addition, employees would receive a one-time 4% “retention bonus” for the current school year and a one-time 5% bonus the following year.”

For the rest of the story, visit the Los Angeles Times here.