(The Center Square) – A strike at Los Angeles Unified School District was averted at the last minute following a tentative agreement with SEIU Local 99.
The union said it secured “gains for workers and student services.”
SEIU Local 99 was the last of three unions wanting a new deal to reach a tentative agreement, which was announced early Tuesday. The other unions on board with a tentative agreement are United Teachers Los Angeles and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Teamsters.
LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district, was still negotiating with Service Employees International Union Local 99 as of Monday afternoon. Had a tentative agreement not been announced, a strike would have happened on Tuesday.
“A strike was always the last resort, and we are proud that we could work with the school district and Mayor Karen Bass to reach an agreement that recognizes the contributions of front-line workers in our schools,” said Max Arias, SEIU Local 99 Executive Director in an email to media.
Terms of the tentative agreement include a 24% wage increase that SEIU said “will make a significant difference in workers’ livelihoods." Health care benefits will be expanded for teacher assistants, after school workers, and community representatives. Meanwhile, layoffs for hundreds of IT Technicians are being rescinded, and LAUSD will have no subcontracting of work to outside vendors.
SEIU Local 99 members must still vote to ratify the agreement, but Arias is pleased with the terms.
“This agreement was won through the bold action and courage of thousands of workers who were willing to sacrifice to improve conditions in their schools and their lives,” said Arias.
Gina Gray, a high school English teacher and UTLA member, said Monday that if SEIU Local 99 did not reach a tentative agreement, her union would stand in solidarity with their “brothers and sisters” at Local 99.
“We will not cross their lines,” Gray told The Center Square.
The tentative agreement reached with UTLA would increase their members’ salary scales by 11.65%. The tentative agreement would also increase the beginning salary for a teacher to $77,000 per year.
Gray called it a step in the right direction, adding that UTLA is "happy with the tentative agreement."
In a press release, LAUSD said that “schools are open today, Tuesday, April 14.” The district also stated that it is pleased with the agreements, adding LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 officials will continue to work together to finalize their agreement.
“We are proud to have reached resolution with all of our Labor partners — UTLA, SEIU and AALA Teamsters Local 2010 — ensuring stability for our schools and continuity for the students and families we serve,” Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait said in a press release. ”Our commitments reflect the dedication of our entire workforce.”
Chait added that LAUSD is “clear-eyed about the challenges ahead” and understands that meeting those challenges requires trust, shared responsibility, and a focus on the students who matter most.
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