Nearly half a million students found their schools shuttered this week as the Los Angeles Unified School district faced three days of strikes by staff.

The strikes, organized by the Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union – representing around 30,000 teachers’ aides, special education assistants, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff – started with a walkout during stalled contract talks. The workers have been employed without a new contract since June 2020, when their contract expired. Teachers have been working without a new contract since June 2022. The unions decided last week to stop accepting extensions and begin negotiating for new contract terms.

Teachers joined their fellows on the rainy picket lines early Tuesday, as workers demand better pay and increased staffing.

Leaders of the United Teachers Los Angeles (a union representing 35,000 educators, counselors and other staff) pledged their solidarity with the striking staff.

UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a news conference, “These are the co-workers that are the lowest-paid workers in our schools and we cannot stand idly by as we consistently see them disrespected and mistreated by this district.”

The superintendent of the district, Alberto M. Carvalho, accused the service union of refusing to negotiate, saying he’s ready to meet day or night. “We remain ready to return to negotiations with SEIU Local 99 so we can provide an equitable contract to our hardworking employees and get our students back in the classrooms.”

Both union workers and the mayor’s office have brainstormed stop-gap measures to offer adult supervision and food to students who would go without during the strikes.