LAUSD Strike Threatens School Shutdown and Sparks Support Rally.

The Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents 30,000 LAUSD employees including bus drivers, custodians, and food service workers, is preparing for a three-day strike on Tuesday in their drive for higher wages. The union is pushing for a 30% pay hike plus an additional $2 per hour for the lowest paid workers. The closures caught parents by surprise, sending them scrambling to find daycare or take time off work. Teachers are sending home packets of schoolwork and computers. The school district and community organizations are throwing together plans to feed tens of thousands of children who rely on schools for most of their meals during the week.