It's been a challenging year for education workers across the country. Beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrust onto the front-lines of this crisis to support our communities in need, keep students learning, while fighting for our jobs and to keep ourselves and our families safe. Check out this video of SEIU Local 99's year in review.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 5,000 family child care providers have closed their doors. Los Angeles alone has seen 982 closures impacting an estimated 9000 children and their families. On Oct. 1, providers are poised to face a pay cut due to lack of federal funding. Enough is enough!
Luis Graciano is Child Center Assistant at Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. This is his story of working with students at Santa Monica Malibu and why he's urging the board not to cut this vital program.
Enga (right) at the 2016 SEIU Convention in Detroit. Enga Chatman, Security Officer, Lynwood Unified School District “I miss being on the campus, interacting with students. You build a bond with them,” says Enga Chatman, who works as a Security Officer at Cesar Chavez Middle School, part of Lynwood Unified School District. [...]
Gloria Murrietta, Food Service Worker, Los Angeles Unified School District Gloria Murrietta doesn’t want to hear it. Don’t talk to her about being worried or scared about the pandemic. Of course, she’s concerned, she says. She sees worry in the faces of the hundreds of children and families who come to Dorsey High [...]
By Sylvia Hernandez, Family Child Care Provider, Van Nuys Sylvia Hernandez (left) enjoys early shopping access at Costco Van Nuys will fellow providers. Sylvia helped providers win front-of-the-line access after hearing about a union sister's success in Richmond, CA. I started my journey into early education and development over 19 years [...]
By Clara Torres, Food Service Worker, Dorsey High School Clara Torres - 30 years of feeding the body and mind of LAUSD students. The pandemic has shut down schools but every morning Food Service Worker Clara Torres leaves home at 5:45am to do a job she’s done for more than 30 [...]
By Zoila Toma, Family Child Care Provider I’m a child care provider in Signal Hill, California and member of SEIU Local 99. I’ve been doing this for eight years, so when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting, I’m used to it and I’m prepared. I have parents drop their children at the door and [...]
By Renaldo Sanders, Child Care Provider in Compton, California Renaldo Sanders with some of the books at Sanders Family Day Care in Compton, California. I'm a licensed quality childcare provider in the wonderful city of Compton, California. I provide teaching and activities that are age and developmentally appropriate for the children in [...]
By Susana Muñoz, Building & Grounds Worker, Esteban Torres High School Our job is to disinfect classrooms, doors, computers that are being released to students, everything in detail. The work is important and needs to be done. My own children are in school and, as a parent, I know that you feel safer [...]
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