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Via KPCC | By Annie Gilbertson

The union representing Los Angeles school employees — cafeteria workers, custodians, teachers’ assistants and others — is launching a pilot program to help students at four schools get access to counseling and health care.

They say their workers can help provide a missing link.

“Optimizing Access to Services, Inspiring Success,” or OASIS, will train employees to coordinate  with outside providers, tapping into city, county and nonprofit agencies that provide counseling, dental and vision care as well as tutoring and vocational support.

“It’s a little bit odd, I think, when people hear a labor union – specifically a classified labor union – is taking on operation like OASIS that focuses on the health and wellness of kids and families,” said Lester Garcia, a spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 99. “I think it’s important for us as a labor union and as a labor movement to think about how we mobilize our members and our supporters for the public good.”

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