Justice. In a broad sense, justice is the principle that people receive that which they deserve. Justice can mean a lot of things, but in the case of LAUSD, low-income workers felt the need to strike and retaliate to make things right. Many teachers from across LAUSD as well as MACES Teachers participated in rallies and are now a part of history with the movement.

Why exactly did the teachers of MACES decide to be involved in the strike? “So this strike is a joint strike between UTLA and Local District 99, advocating not only for the rights of our workers but the staff, the students, and the community because I believe we all deserve better living conditions, better schooling conditions and safer campuses for students, staff, and teachers,” Ms. Gallego, a MACES Teacher, said. Well, what is UTLA? It stands for United Teachers Los Angeles and they ensure equity in public education, upholds educators’ rights, advances the well-being of students, and strengthens communities.

Ms. Gallego wasn’t the only one who participated in the rallies. “The reason why I decided to participate in the strike is a show of support and solidarity for other employees in the district who are going through the process of negotiating with the district, and then having difficulties in order for them to receive the benefits,” Mr. Velasco, the MACES Academic Counselor, said. Rallies took place in front of the MACES Campus, where teachers like Ms. Gallego and staff like Mr. Velasco showed the public the significance of their rights and the importance of solidarity.

The rallies took place not just at MACES, but at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. Hundreds of LAUSD Staff showed up and united to show they will do whatever it takes to get what they want. “Well, I’m a part of SEIU. I’ve been working for the district for a long time and I’ve seen a lack of things that we have; we’re lacking a lot of things. They’ve been asking us to do double duty on certain things and not paying us for it so it’s time for them to pay for our services and a fair wage pay, so that’s why I’m fighting,” Stephanie Smiley, a special education assistant, said. Stephanie stated that she was a part of SEIU. SEIU stands for Service Employees International Union. They are also known as @seiulocal99 on Instagram, which is the name Ms. Gallego used before, Local District 99. It’s a huge web of connections with displays of power and resilience.

After three days of no school, LA Unified replied. “I am appreciative of SEIU Local 99’s leadership for coming back to the table to negotiate an agreement that addresses the needs of our employees and brings students back to the classroom,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. According to achieve.lausd.net, “Under the terms of the new contracts which span from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024, Los Angeles Unified and SEIU agreed to:

Salary increases of:

6% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2021

7% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2022

7% ongoing wage increase effective July 1, 2023

$2 per hour increase for all employees effective January 1, 2024″

and more. The new terms and conditions were official and the fight with LA Unified and UTLA and SEIU is over.