SEIU sets strike dates in Sacramento City Unified School District for custodians, food service workers

SEIU sets strike dates in Sacramento City Unified School District for custodians, food service workers

Union sets strike dates in Sacramento City Unified School District for custodians, food service workers

The union representing school support staff contends it still has concerns about safety and affordable child care for its members

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The ongoing stalemate in labor negotiations between the Sacramento City Unified School District and the Service Employees International Union could lead to a scenario where students face picket lines on campus when in-person learning resumes next week.

The local SEIU chapter, which represents 1,900 members including custodians, bus drivers, instructional aides and food service workers, announced on Thursday that it is planning a two-day strike.

The strike dates are April 22 and 23.

The union contends it still has concerns about safety and affordable child care for its members.

"The main thing we want is for the distancing to be universal, for the N-95 mask to be fitted. And, we need to figure a way to get daycare for our kids," said Karla Faucett, SEIU chapter president.

However, the district countered those claims.

"The main concerns are not health and safety, as framed by SEIU, but instead center on the amount of stipends their members will receive and whether their members will receive child care provided by the district," read a SCUSD statement.

On April 12, the Public Employment Relations Board granted a request to move both parties into the mediation process. Both parties are tentatively scheduled to meet on Monday, according to the district.

The Sacramento City Teachers Association voted to support the SEIU workers with a sympathy strike.

SEIU sets strike dates in Sacramento City Unified School District for custodians, food service workers

Parents want to be more involved in SCUSD decisions | abc10 com

Parents want to be more involved in SCUSD decisions | abc10.com

Sacramento Unified School District parents say they want to be more involved in district decisions

SCUSD Parents came together today to voice their frustrations with the school district’s lack of support when it comes disadvantage students

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Elvia Vasquez has three children that attended Sacramento City Unified School district schools and says she feels the district is not doing enough to include parents in the daily decisions made about their students.

“I wanted to be involved at McClatchy and they didn’t know what to do with me they said they didn’t have anything to do for me. I know there are many things to do there, but I guess it’s a culture where parents are not involved,” Vasquez said.

This is why Vasquez says she joined Parents Advocating for Student Success also known as The PASS Program

“I’m hoping a lot of parents, especially in low-income communities, get involved because we assume the school is doing everything, we trust the administrators are doing what they are supposed to, and a lot of times they are not,” Vasquez said.

Chett Hewit is the President of the Sierra Health Foundation which developed The Pass Program. Hewit says students from low-income families were not given the resources needed from the district to help their students succeed during the pandemic. Hewit blames the district's inability to come to a distance learning plan with the teacher's union.

“Those agreements are what stands up the rules of engagement for teachers as it relates to how they engage students those things are important," Hewit said.

According to a report by Capital of School Suspensions. Black boys are five times more likely to be suspended from SCUSD. That is the highest suspension rate in California.

Hewit says parents are also demanding more be done to help Black children who have fallen victim to suspensions.

“Making sure kids have the tools that they need to fully participate, to better understand the rules of engagement, and to make sure as we think about reentering school that the behavioral health issues that we know are going to present themselves aren’t going to make the disaster around expulsions even worse,” Hewit said.

In response to The PASS Programs concern, Sacramento City Unified says in a statement: 

 “We are grateful for the work of these community leaders and community-based organizations for helping to empower and engage our families through the PASS Project. We welcome this advocacy effort on behalf of our families, especially those who may not have an understanding of how to navigate our K-12 system. These families deserve a strong voice when it comes to the future of their students and our district."

Parents want to be more involved in SCUSD decisions | abc10.com