About the publisher: Here we go again. The idea that Service Employees International Union Local 99 went on strike and that United Teachers Los Angeles united in solidarity for anything other than the long-term benefit of LA public school families and students falls short. (“Why LAUSD Teachers Don’t Line Up to Strike with SEIU Workers,” Letters, March 23)

Many people carrying signs in the pouring rain fought the same battle four years ago. In 2019, promises were made that were not kept, creating a lot of this mess.

We are unable to find staff to fill our teaching assistant vacancies, and the same goes for many other positions filled by the union. These workers fill the gap and barely earn enough to eat. If the district provided regular, meaningful raises, we wouldn’t have to go into effect every few years.

People in the district or those who write their opinions don’t see what we see every day. We see the need, so we stand together to keep fighting for what our schools and students deserve. And yes, that also means that people are rewarded for their work with a fair wage.

The strike ended Thursday, but Local 99 and UTLA won’t back down until the Los Angeles Unified School District does the right thing.

Misti Kemmer, CypressThe author was LAUSD Teacher of the Year 2017…

About the publisher: A letter writer loudly criticized LAUSD teachers for striking in solidarity with SEIU workers. I doubt this person has ever been a teacher.

I am a retired teacher. Teachers do not teach in a vacuum. Support staff are essential for us to get our work done.

Without support staff, who will clean the classrooms, disinfect the desks, clean the bathrooms, feed the students breakfast and lunch, take the kids to school, keep our schools safe, or do countless other chores?

These great people need decent wages, full time work and benefits.

Vicki LynchOceanside..

About the publisher: Yes, of course the teachers were right to strike.

The purpose of a strike is to make things uncomfortable and to show how important employees are to running an organization. Union members should support each other. The more support they receive from others, the more bargaining power they have.

Organizations have lost sight of the importance of their employees, who are paid as little as possible while the managers, presidents and shareholders receive much better compensation.

I worked for many years in the church workers’ union under the University of California system. Some of our employees depended on food stamps. During our strike, all UC unions respected the ambitions.

So again, yes, the teachers supported their peers and should have supported them.

Rita Skinner, Riverside