L.A. Unified Board of Education Unanimously Approves Board Member Nick Melvoin’s Resolution Standing in Solidarity with Striking Workers to Commemorate Labor Day

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Contact: Ally Salvaria 

Ally.Salvaria@lausd.net (818)726-6151 

L.A. Unified Board of Education Unanimously Approves Board Member Nick Melvoin’s Resolution Standing in Solidarity with Striking Workers to Commemorate Labor Day 

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 22, 2023) — The L.A. Unified Board of Education voted today to approve Board Member Nick Melvoin’s resolution to commemorate Labor Day by standing in solidarity with the current local and national labor movements fighting for better working conditions, living wages, and respect for their essential role in our society and economy.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Board Members Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Dr. Rocio Rivas, Kelly Gonez, Board President Jackie Goldberg and Vice President Scott M. Schmerelson, reaffirms its support for striking members of WGA, SAG-AFTRA, UNITE HERE Local 11 hotel workers, and extends this support to all workers around the world engaged in the struggle for just labor conditions. It also commits the District to avoid doing any business that would force employees to cross picket lines.

“While I’ve been on the Board for two strikes, we have always been able to find common ground in the need for basic fairness, respect, and decency as we work toward a resolution,” said Board Member Melvoin. “Amid this powerful resurgence of workers’ rights movements, this resolution intends to address the disappointing reality that not everyone shares those same commitments—and support the people on the front lines fighting for what they deserve.”

“The employees of Los Angeles Unified are among the best workforce in the world,” said Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. “I am consistently overcome with gratitude at the tireless dedication our employees demonstrate on a daily basis. While this is a formal resolution to recognize our workforce, every day we celebrate their commitment and the imprint they leave on Los Angeles Unified.”

“We commend the LAUSD Board for not simply adopting a ceremonial recognition of Labor Day, but for truly recognizing its role as an employer, a consumer, and a member of the local communities it serves,” said SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias. “Through this resolution, the board has acknowledged that labor is not just for one day or one industry. It recognizes that working families are at the core of LAUSD and when working parents strive for better lives, it is ultimately their children – LAUSD’s students – who stand the most to gain. We also call on the board to put its resolve into action by continuing to work with SEIU Local 99 in upcoming contract negotiations to ensure its own workforce is recognized with decent wages and respect for their contributions to student learning.” 

“We must continue to stand in solidarity and honor striking workers’ picket lines,” said Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. “We must be willing to call out bad actors that seek to oppress their workers with wages that keep them in poverty and one paycheck away from becoming homeless. Today’s show of solidarity by the Los Angeles Board of Education is a message that should be heard loud and clear by all employers in the region: Los Angeles is a Union Town.”

“With today’s resolution, we proclaim our support for workers, their rights, and fair and just labor negotiations,” said Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin. “I want to thank all of the employees taking a huge personal risk in service of making a systemic change for our shared future. It’s important that our students see viable careers in hotels, health care, and Hollywood and it’s important that our families and community members are treated respectfully and compensated well for their contributions.”

“Celebrating and honoring our local workforce is a natural extension of our city's ‘Hot Labor Summer,’” said Board Member Dr. Rocío Rivas. “We have witnessed, and provided, unprecedented support of unions and workers coming together to exercise their collective bargaining rights. With this resolution we uplift our commitment to our labor partners and all workers.”

“The Los Angeles Unified School District salutes its dedicated employees and all workers fighting for fair labor conditions, recognizing that their contributions are the backbone of our community and educational system,” said Board President Jackie Goldberg. “As we celebrate this Labor Day, we stand in solidarity with those on the front lines of labor disputes, at this crucial moment in history, fighting for a more dignified and livable future for all of us.”

“I am proud, as always, to stand with my union sisters and brothers at this time those who belong to WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and SEIU-UHW who are standing together to protect their rights and their livelihood and pledge to support our District families who are impacted by the current negotiations,” said Board Vice President Scott M. Schmerelson.

“Growing up, my parents provided for my family through their work as educators in public schools and universities,” said Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III. “Working families are the backbone of our economy and every person deserves to earn a living wage with dignity. The District is committed to being an employer of choice by providing a workplace that attracts, cultivates and retains top talent at all levels of the organization. It is equally as important that we focus on preparing our students to enter any part of the workforce upon completing their diploma or pursuing higher education. We are integral to the local economy and want to be a viable partner in fostering a thriving workforce.”

“I’m proud to stand with workers across Los Angeles, more than 100,000 of whom are on strike this summer in the fight for fair wages and working conditions,” said Board Member Kelly Gonez. “With the ever-rising cost of living in Los Angeles, it’s past time for our workers to be paid what they deserve. We stand in solidarity with them.”

Nick Melvoin is proud to serve the dynamic communities of District 4 as Board Member of the L.A. Unified Board of Education. Nick’s election to the Board in May of 2017 follows a career fighting for our city’s schoolchildren as a teacher, attorney, and community advocate. He believes that together, with the right leadership, we can ensure that every student in Los Angeles has the opportunity to succeed. Board District 4 includes the communities of Brentwood, Del Rey, Encino, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Mar Vista, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Playa Del Rey, Playa Vista, Reseda, Tarzana, Topanga, Westchester, West Hollywood, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and Venice.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please call Ally Salvaria at 818-726-6151 or email at Ally.Salvaria@LAUSD.net.