Impending Strike Threatens Closure of Hundreds of L.A. Schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest public school system, may face a three-day strike starting Tuesday as negotiations with the district have stalled. The union representing 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, and other school employees announced that the workers intended to walk off the job next week. The teachers' union, which represents another roughly 30,000 L.A.U.S.D. employees, said its members, in solidarity, would not cross the picket line. The strike could affect more than 1,000 Los Angeles Unified schools, and the district is urging parents to make arrangements with their employers and child care providers to prepare for schools to be closed.