LAUSD schools could close if union workers go on strike, Superintendent Carvalho says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District could close if union workers go on strike, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

In an email Monday night to parents, Carvalho said if some 65,000 workers go on strike, schools would shut down because the district wouldn't be able to ensure the safety of students.

The superintendent's statement comes as two unions plan to go on strike simultaneously for three days. SEIU Local 99 - which represents workers like bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers - says they're striking due to unfair labor practices.

They are asking for a 30% increase in wages.

"After nearly a year of negotiations with the district, they have not been fruitful. Workers are asking for a living wage," said Blanca Gallegos with SEIU. "Right now, workers at LAUSD earn below the poverty line. They're asking for more hours, they're asking for more staffing."

United Teachers Los Angeles - which represents teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians - also plans to walk out. UTLA is seeking a 20% increase over two years.

The district says it has made one of the strongest offers ever proposed, including a 15% wage increase.

The unions are expected to announce the strike dates on Wednesday.

"If this strike does occur, despite our best efforts to avoid it, due to the anticipated lack of both teachers and school staff, it is likely we would have to close schools - without virtual education - until the strike ends," Carvalho's email reads.

"We are committed to continue good-faith bargaining with our labor partners around the clock to reach an agreement and prevent a strike."

A strike in 2019 lasted for six days and only involved the teachers union. However, schools stayed open back then.

"I'm not immediately concerned. I was homeschooling my children right before this," one parent told Eyewitness News. "And I do work from home so I feel like I could go back that. It would be an inconvenience for me. However, I do understand the point-of-view of the workers."