It鈥檚 a cruel irony that while Los Angeles Unified School District service workers are walking off the job to demand better pay, many of them cannot afford to miss work during the three-day strike, which is why teachers and parents are stepping in to help.
At schools across Los Angeles, fundraisers are helping recoup the lost wages for striking members of SEIU Local 99, the union representing 30,000 bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants, cafeteria workers and instructional aides.
鈥淲e heard some of our SEIU co-workers say 鈥業 really want to be on the picket line, I really want to strike, but I鈥檓 not sure if I can make it work,鈥� so that鈥檚 when we decided to raise money,鈥� said Hannah Day, a teacher at Elysian Heights Arts Magnet in Echo Park, who launched a GoFundMe to support striking service workers at her school.
The three-day LAUSD strike is led by SEIU Local 99 with thousands of teachers鈥� union members, like Day, walking out in solidarity.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has made what he calls a 鈥渉istoric offer鈥� to SEIU Local 99, including a 23% raise over time and 3% retention bonus, but union leaders say this falls short of what is needed to keep workers above the poverty line and at pace with inflation. They are demanding a 30% raise over time.
The average annual salary of SEIU members is $25,000 and many work part-time. One in three members have experienced homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless, while one in four are experiencing food instability, according to a union survey.
鈥淔or people who are on the verge of experiencing homelessness, for people who don鈥檛 have enough food to eat, missing three days of work is no small potatoes,鈥� said Day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge sacrifice.鈥�
Day鈥檚 fundraiser has collected almost $5,000 in just two days thanks to donations from both parents and teachers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not charity,鈥� she said. 鈥淒onating to our GoFundMe is an act of solidarity and appreciation for the stance we are taking and the sacrifice we are making to create a better public education system in Los Angeles.鈥�
Although many teachers are financially strained themselves, their average salary is almost double that of SEIU members and many are dipping into their own pockets to help their striking co-workers.
Over at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, teachers are entirely funding a GoFundMe for their SEIU colleagues, which has raised around $900 in its first day. The student body is almost entirely below the poverty line and teachers didn鈥檛 feel comfortable asking parents for money, said Sara-Jean Lipmen, an instructional coach who is organizing the fundraiser.
鈥淎s a teacher, I鈥檓 definitely not paid enough for the work I do, but I鈥檓 not worried about eating tomorrow if I take a day off,鈥� said Lipmen. 鈥淭hey (SEIU members) are and that鈥檚 where this fundraiser came from.鈥�
For Diana Fajardo, a campus aide at Toluca Lake Elementary School, working for the district has meant living without health benefits. In addition to her aide duties, Fajardo works a second job as a night-shift caregiver and raises her son, who is an LAUSD student.
鈥淚鈥檓 with kids all the time and I鈥檓 taking care of them,鈥� Fajardo said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檇 get better pay somewhere else. It isn鈥檛 fair.鈥�
Teaching assistant Vivian Flores also frequently works second jobs to cover her expenses, in addition to attending community college to pursue a degree in child development studies.
She said the district鈥檚 鈥減oor support and wages鈥� make it difficult to get by.
鈥淥ne of the major things I鈥檝e been struggling with is having to pay my utilities, my rent and my tuition,鈥� Flores said. 鈥淲e strongly need better wages.鈥�
Emily Ponce is organizing a fundraiser for striking SEIU members at Betty Plasencia Elementary in Echo Park and said that since many of her fellow teachers started their careers as teaching assistants they can sympathize with their plight.
鈥淲e feel it deep in our hearts because we were in those positions on our way up to become teachers,鈥� she said.
Her fundraiser, with support from teachers, parents and community members, has raised almost $5,000 in five days to support SEIU members like teaching assistants.
鈥淚t shows us how strong our community is,鈥� said Ponce, marveling at the amount of money raised. 鈥淥ur community supports what we are fighting for and they really came through for us.鈥�
