As education workers, parents and members of the communities that we serve, we know that for people of color and children living in poverty, education is the pathway to opportunity in this country. But for far too long, inequities in our educational system have shortchanged our Black, Brown and immigrant children of an excellent public education. And the contributions of essential school workers, a majority of us women and people of color, have not been valued.

As we prepare to return to school – whether online or on campus – we must take this opportunity not just to recover from the COVID-19 crisis but to reset the course for our students and communities. We must begin to tear-down the systemic racism that denies all children a quality education and make fundamental changes to ensure all students and employees can learn and work in safe, clean, and supportive schools – now and into the future.

SEIU Local 99 is in negotiations with employers to ensure the new school year is safe and equitable for students and staff. Our negotiations are being guided by these principles:

Principle

What it means in our negotiations with employers

Prioritize Safety and Cleanliness for All

The regular sanitizing of classrooms and campuses has long been regarded as a “wish-list” item for schools rather than a priority. As a result, maintenance budgets have suffered the greatest budget cuts, staffing levels have been drastically reduced and school districts have struggled to maintain basic cleanliness standards. The safe re-opening of schools will require proper protective equipment for all, training, testing and appropriate staffing of maintenance workers to protect students in every environment where they learn – from school buses to classrooms to playgrounds and cafeterias.
  • Ensure all workers have the proper personal protective equipment. If proper PPE is not provided, members should be excused from work with pay.
  • Ensure training on social distancing protocols, proper clean-up of hazardous materials and other safety measures.
  • Secure free COVID-19 testing for all, including time off from work for testing
  • Increase staffing of custodians, building & grounds workers and other maintenance workers to ensure schools, campuses and facilities are disinfected daily and are safe for all.

Ensure full support and resources for our most vulnerable students

The shutdown of our schools has disproportionately impacted students of color, immigrants and students with special needs, as well as the essential classified school workers who provide them with critical services. As schools re-open, learning-loss and achievement gaps must be addressed immediately through expanded instructional assistance, full access to technology for all, counseling and other services and supports targeted to vulnerable students.
  • Increased staffing and training of Special Education Assistants, Teacher Assistants, Instructional Aides and other positions that directly support student learning
  • Access to computers, software and internet access for all students – and full support from IT staff

Focus on our communities

The pandemic has laid bare how much working families depend on schools for food, child care, wellness and other basic needs. As communities recover from the economic crisis, schools must more fully engage parents and front line workers to identify neighborhood needs and appropriately target the expansion of meal programs, afterschool activities, health care access (including COVID-19 testing) and other safety-net services.
  • Equitable distribution of funds to schools that need it the most, including schools in high-poverty areas.
  • Increased staffing and training for Food Service Workers who have been providing meals to entire communities suffering from job loss
  • Increased staffing for programs that will keep parents engaged and connected to their child’s learning
  • Increased staffing for school supervision and campus safety to ensure all safety procedures and protocols are effective and efficient, including temperature checks and social distancing
  • Securing safety-net services at schools for families in need, including, health care access and meals.

Recognize and respect the role of essential education workers.

Our response to this unprecedented pandemic cannot be budget cuts and business as usual. We must challenge elected leaders to create a more progressive fiscal system. In the wealthiest state in the nation – which has led with a bold attack on COVID19 – we must be equally bold in our demand for equity in education. We must create new revenue streams where the wealthy pay their fair share and our budget is not balanced on the backs of school custodians, cafeteria workers, special education assistants and other essential employees.
  • Wage increases that recognize our contributions to student learning.
  • Hero pay if schools remain closed and members are required to report to a worksite.
  • Family health care benefits.
  • Access to quality, affordable child care.
  • Sick time or vacation leave will not be used for COVID-19 related absences.
  • Reasonable accommodations for workers at high-risk of contracting COVID-19 and for those who live with high-risk individuals.
  • Re-imagining roles to address new needs arising from distance-learning

Bold investment in our schools and communities

Our response to this unprecedented pandemic cannot be budget cuts and business as usual. We must challenge elected leaders to create a more progressive fiscal system. In the wealthiest state in the nation – which has led with a bold attack on COVID19 – we must be equally bold in our demand for equity in education. We must create new revenue streams where the wealthy pay their fair share and our budget is not balanced on the backs of school custodians, cafeteria workers, special education assistants and other essential employees.

 This means we make politics work for us, hold elected officials accountable and vote.
  • Move Congress to pass HEROES Act to secure $90 billion for education
  • Move CA Gov. Newsom and Legislators to tax billionaires
  • Pass Proposition 15: Schools & Communities First – $12 billion for education annually