California school unions seeking extra pay, child care help as classes reopen

As districts across California prepare to welcome students back to classrooms after nearly a year of remote learning, school employees are seeking extra pay, safety measures and child care assistance to offset the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Employees want stipends that would pay for child care and other costs incurred during the pandemic, as well as agreements on safety guidelines like distancing.

While districts like San Francisco Unified and Oakland Unified have come to agreements with their local bargaining units, others like Sacramento City Unified are struggling to find common ground as in-person instruction resumes.

Some classified school employees may face a different set of working conditions than teachers, who, for the most part, have been able to work remotely during the pandemic. Some other school employee positions, like food service providers and custodians, have worked in-person in various capacities over the past year. Employees who have worked remotely say they are concerned about putting themselves or family members at risk of catching COVID-19, and are struggling to find child care.

Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this week announced it would provide a day care stipend of $500 a month for each child under age 5 to all full-time employees, including teachers.

“It’s been a very long year since COVID-19 led to the closure of schools, and many of our employees have had to juggle their responsibilities at work with the need to take care of their own families, including young children,” District Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a statement. “The support for child care is another step we’re taking to help our employees so they can keep doing all they can to serve the needs of students and their families.”

SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias said the stipend is a “critical first step in the reopening and recovery process.”

Administrators and employees in Sacramento City Unified School District, however, have struggled to come to similar agreements with the union that represents its classified staff.

On Tuesday, the district declared an impasse in negotiations with SEIU 1021, saying it was unable to meet the demands set forth by the labor unit, which included, in part, a $1,500 one-time stipend for employees with children 3 to 14 who could not bring their child to work. SEIU represents about 2,000 bus drivers, custodians, teachers’ aids and other non-faculty staff.

“While the district recognizes the challenge that child care can present, not just for SEIU employees but employees across the country, the district is unable to meet the child care needs of employees as proposed by SEIU in their last counterproposal,” the district said in a public letter this week.

The district is also offering stipends for returning to work and $1,000 prorated bonuses to those who have worked on-site since July, as well as options for employees to bring their school-age children under certain circumstances, the same offer given to teachers.

SEIU representatives say the district’s child care offer is insufficient.

“We understand that that solution will not work for all of our members, because they’re not all in the classroom. It’s hard for carpenters to take their kids to work,” said Dan Schallock, vice president for the Sacramento City Unified School District chapter of SEIU 1021.

Glen Sharp, field representative for SEIU local 1021, said the union has now asked the district for $125 weekly stipends for parents with kids under 14 who need help paying for child care, or give those parents the option to work remotely.

Sacramento City Unified began welcoming back students on April 8, even as negotiations with employees stalled. SEIU members were expected to report to work beginning April 5 to prepare for a return to in-person instruction. Schallock said the district’s resistance to meet SEIU 1021’s requests has been frustrating, and some employees have left children at home because of the lack of affordable child care.

Sharp said employees are also asking for health and safety measures, including an agreement to keep a six-feet distance between individuals and fit-tested N95 masks for those employees who have to work up close with children. The district says a 3-foot distance is appropriate in some circumstances the most current guidance from Centers for Disease Control and state health officials.

Despite sticking points, there are issues that Sharp said the two sides are likely to agree on. There is also discussion of additional funds to help employees offset the cost of working from home.

But with the impasse, negotiations have paused until a formal mediation process can take place.

“This feels like a public shaming,” Schallock said. “We are taking assertive action to get the collective will of our members organized, and based on the will of our members, we intend to take more serious steps in the coming days.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2021 at 5:25 AM.