Striking Little Lake City School District teachers will march to Santa Fe Springs City Hall Tuesday to serve all five members of the school board with a notice of intent to recall, one day after district officials walked out of negotiations, according to the union.
The Little Lake Education Association, the union representing the district’s teachers, is seeking to recall the entire Board of Education, namely: Jasmine Sanchez, Hilda Zamora, Lisa Chavarria, Manuel Cantu and Gina Ramirez.
Cantu is also the city’s community services program coordinator.
The district hasn’t provided comments or a negotiation update since Sunday.
The teachers plan an 11 a.m. rally at the California Teachers Association’s Santa Fe Springs office, then head to City Hall. From City Hall, teachers will then march to the Little Lake City School District headquarters for lunch and to conduct a “Lesson on the Line” for students not attending school, according to the union.
The union resumed bargaining Monday “after calls from parents, the community and three powerful strike days … ready to negotiate a fair contract,” a union statement released late Monday night said.
“Instead of a deal, the district came ill-prepared with no urgency to get kids back to the classroom.”
Union officials said the dispute centers on proposed midyear health care changes that could increase some employees’ monthly costs to as much as $1,400, which they contend amounts to a pay cut. They are also calling for smaller class sizes and more support for special education programs.
“Our resolve is stronger than ever. Little Lake students deserve safe, stable, fully-staffed schools,” LLEA president Maria Pilios said in a statement Monday. “We call on our elected and community allies to stand with us in this fight; the future of our community depends on it.”
The district, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, serves students in portions of Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk and a small part of Downey.
Earlier this month, 94% of union members voted in favor of authorizing a strike.
“Right now, the district has cut our health care benefits, proposed cuts to staffing, increased class sizes and they are refusing to provide more support to meet the growing needs of an increasing Special Education student population. We are here to demand they do better by our community,” Pilios said in a statement Thursday.
Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez previously said officials were working to reach an agreement while maintaining financial stability.
“Our teachers and staff are at the heart of our district, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that reflects their contributions while ensuring the long-term stability of our schools,” Vasquez said.
“The district strongly disagrees with the characterization that we are not investing in classrooms or student supports. Our budget reflects ongoing investments in instructional programs, special education services, and student interventions. At the same time, we must balance these priorities with our legal obligation to maintain fiscal solvency, including meeting the state-required reserve levels.”
Union officials also said they filed an unfair labor practice charge, alleging the district improperly asked educators to disclose their strike intentions.
“They’ve spent millions on outside contractors instead of investing in our classrooms,” Pilios said in an earlier statement. “Our students deserve better, and we refuse to accept cuts that harm both educators and the learning conditions our students depend on.”