Posts tagged SEIU Local 99
SEIU FACES STEEP DECLINES IN MEMBERSHIP AND REVENUE
April 4, 2023 // SEIU Local 99’s massive strike in LA Unified ended last week with union leaders bragging that the strike showcased the union’s strength. But the reality is more stark for the union: SEIU is facing steep declines in membership and revenue, and the strike appears more like an act of desperation. According to internal LAUSD documents, the union is struggling to retain their membership. Of the nearly 23,000 employees represented, 26% have decided to stop paying their union dues. That’s 26% of a budget the union desperately needs to engage in political donations and activity — and to lobby legislators.
Was the LAUSD strike illegal? That’s up to a judge to decide
March 29, 2023 // There are two types of strikes that can be declared: economic and unfair labor practice, said PERB General Counsel Felix De La Torre. An economic strike requires that union leaders first exhaust all avenues of negotiation. This requires declaring that negotiations have reached an impasse, enlisting the support of an independent mediator and carrying out fact finding research. While SEIU Local 99 completed the first two of those steps, it did not finish the third. An unfair labor practice strike, on the other hand, can be declared at any time. This is the type of strike that SEIU Local 99 declared after filing over a dozen unfair labor practice charges with PERB against the district. These charges include alleged surveillance of union members, retaliation against members, withholding of information and interference in union activities.
The Problem(s) With Public Sector Unions
March 29, 2023 // Regardless of this contract outcome and which sides can claim victory, serious questions arise regarding the advisability of having public sector unions such as the SEIU, UTLA, et. al. in existence at all and their ability to collectively bargain and launch strikes against essentially the taxpayers of any given public jurisdiction. In the case of the recent LAUSD strike, 420,000 students and their families were held hostage by public sector unions in a school district already beset by financial and other woes. According to LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho, what the union sought would have put the school district on the brink of insolvency. Also, the strike itself precluded many disadvantaged students from receiving necessary daily meals that their families count on. Most importantly, a school district still reeling from the effects of a Covid-induced school lockdown just could not afford three more days of non-instruction. Arguably, the LAUSD is already a floundering if not failing district with ever-increasing taxpayer spending in spite of withering enrollment and diminishing student performance. It is to be noted that the demographics of the American union have changed dramatically over the years. While at one time the predominance of union membership was mostly among private sector blue collar workers, the ratios have flip-flopped where now the greatest numbers are not only in the public sector but are also associated with white collar employees. It should be further noted that public sector unions were once illegal in the United States.
400,000 Los Angeles Students Missed School As Union Employees Launch 3-Day Strike Demanding Better Wages, Benefits
March 22, 2023 // Aaron Withe, CEO of Freedom Foundation, a Washington-D.C.-based think tank advocating for public employees from political exploitation, told The Daily Wire in a statement that the organization frequently hears from teachers who are sick of union politics — especially after seeing what the COVID school shutdowns have done children, he said, calling the latest strike from union officials “unconscionable.” “They just want to teach their students reading, writing, and math, Withe said, adding, “they’re fed up.”.
UNIONS’ STRIKE HURTS L.A. STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
March 20, 2023 // The unions are demanding huge pay raises despite financial reports showing LAUSD is already upside down $16.4 billion. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 is demanding a whopping 30% increase in wages for school employees like bus drivers and cafeteria workers. United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) is also joining the strike, seeking a 20% raise for teachers. “The unions strike and close down schools regardless of how much it will hurt students and their families,” said Lance Christensen, Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs at California Policy Center.
L.A. schools would close if union workers go on massive three-day strike, Supt. Carvalho says
March 14, 2023 // United Teachers Los Angeles, which also is in contract talks, has advised its members that they should walk out in solidarity with Local 99 to ratchet up pressure on the district. Local 99 has described the strike as an unfair labor practice charge walkout in protest of alleged illegal actions by L.A. Unified during the negotiations process. Such strikes typically last for a fixed duration and can be staged without going through all the steps of bargaining that typically precede an open-ended strike, according to the unions. The union bargaining platform is extensive, covering a range of workplace and social-justice issues, including a commitment to extra resources for Black students and affordable housing for low-income families.
LAUSD WORKERS AUTHORIZE A STRIKE, ASK FOR HIGHER WAGES
February 14, 2023 // SEIU Local 99 represents roughly 30,000 LAUSD employees, consisting of bus drivers, custodial staff, teacher aides, cafeteria workers and after school workers. The union representatives have stated that the workers seek not only higher wages across the board, but also increased staffing, factors that they feel are crucial coming out of a pandemic, with children falling behind on curriculum and needing assistance outside of normal school hours.
SEIU school workers in Los Angeles announce 2023 strike vote
December 27, 2022 // SEIU Local 99 represents 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other related workers. The union recently protested outside LAUSD headquarters to highlight their demands. The union demanded higher pay, more full-time work options for its members, and better healthcare benefits. The average annual salary for workers is $25,000 and most workers have part-time work schedules.