After months of tension, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the Service Workers International Union (SEIU) native 99 reached a tentative labor agreement that avoided the mass closure of schools, which would have affected 400,000 students.
The closure scheduled to begin on April 14 was canceled following an agreement reached in the early hours of Tuesday, April 14, that includes salary improvements and greater benefits.
Among the agreements reached, as announced by SEIU native 99 itself, include:
- 24% increases in salaries
- Expanded health benefits for members and their families
- Protections against outsourcing jobs to private for-profit corporations that are not accountable to the District; and puts safeguards in place to prevent job losses
- Increase and hiring of non-public to support students and schools
- An increase in work hours for all non-public, to ensure that students receive the full services they need.
“This agreement is a great victory for Union members,” the SEIU native 99 posted on social media.
In a press conference, Max Arias, leader of SEIU Native 99, said that the public, when they drive near schools or pass in front of one of them, usually say: “There are the teachers.”
And he emphasized that of course, they love the teachers, and the principals.
But often, he said, we forget who else is there; because only if we remember them will they stop being invisible.
However, it is important to remember that, despite all these achievements, our members will continue to receive – on average – a figure that, calculating, will be around $42,000 or $forty five,000 annually.
“So the work is not done; and we must remember that our members are LAUSD parents—about half of them are African American and Latina women, doing this grueling work and supporting both teachers and students in their education.”
Prior to the agreement reached by this union, the teachers affiliated with the United Teachers Union Los Angeles (UTLA) and the administrators affiliated with the Union Buddies Directors of Los Angeles (AALA) reached an agreement.
UTLA teachers and school leaders affiliated with AALA/Teamsters 2010 had committed to joining a solidarity strike with Native 99 members if they could not reach a negotiation and went on strike starting Tuesday, April 14.
This despite having already reached tentative agreements on their own contracts with the school district.
“These agreements honor the classic work of our employees and require us to stay focused on what matters most for our schools, as well as work collaboratively to identify the resources necessary to meet our commitments,” said LAUSD Interim Superintendent Andrés E. Chait.
“Today presents an opportunity to turn the page and reset our relationship with the workforce. As someone who has dedicated his career to this District, I believe deeply in Los Angeles Unified and know that we achieve our best results when we are truly united.”
He highlighted that the District is committed to providing significant salary increases and preserving the long-standing commitment to fully fund 100% of employee health and wellness benefits; an investment that has grown considerably over time.
“Together, these actions ensure that educators and non-public school employees receive competitive compensation, which strengthens the District’s ability to attract and retain a high-quality workforce, and preserves stability for students and school communities.”
Through these agreements, he said LAUSD has taken deliberate steps to protect classroom instruction and prioritize students.
“Even when difficult decisions are required, we continue to invest in critical areas, such as expanding instructional supports, reducing class sizes, and maintaining essential services that families rely on every day.”
He added that he is proud to reach an agreement with all unions – UTLA, SEIU, AALA and Teamsters Native 2010 -, which guarantees the stability of the schools and continuity for the students and families we serve.
“Our commitments reflect the dedication of our entire workforce. We appreciate the collaboration that made this possible and we trust that this marks the beginning of a new chapter of mutual collaboration,” he said.
“At the same time, we are fully aware of the challenges ahead and know that overcoming them will require continued trust, shared responsibility, and a united focus on what matters most: our students.”
SEIU Native 99 represents LAUSD custodians, cafeteria workers, special education aides, bus drivers and 30,000 other essential school workers, who on average earn $35,000 a month, and work hourly, without employment benefits.
“It’s been a long night and it’s been a long few weeks of negotiations, but our schools are open, our children are in class and school workers are at their jobs, caring for and shaping the minds of our future,” said Mayor Karen Bass, who was directly involved in the negotiations to reach the agreement, and is considered to have played an instrumental role.
“A strike would have disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and their parents, who need child care and have to go to work,” he said.
In a social media post, the SEIU Native 99 said:
“Through unity and a willingness to act, we achieved important victories for our members, including significant improvements in wages and hours, stronger protections against outsourcing, an increase in non-public staffing, and we successfully stopped layoffs of IT workers.”
“This is what collective power looks like,” they said.
Reactions
School Board Member Karla Griego was grateful that after extensive negotiations and good faith efforts by both parties, they finally reached agreements with the workforce and avoided what could have been a significant disruption to student learning.
“Our AALA, UTLA and SEIU Native 99 employees are essential partners in ensuring our students have a safe, clean and supportive learning environment where they can thrive academically, psychologically and socially.”
He noted that these agreements reflect the invaluable contributions they make to the growth of our students.
“Now that we have avoided a strike, we can all focus on supporting our students and families through what has already been one of the most difficult years for many in our communities.”
Rocío Rivas, vice president of the Board of Directors, LAUSD alumni and also the mother of an LAUSD student, said she was very relieved about the agreement reached with the SEIU Native 99, as well as with the UTLA and the AALA.
“This ensures that our schools remain open and stable for the students and families who depend on them, just as I depended on them when I was an LAUSD student,” he said.
“Los Angeles schools are the second home for all of our students. Our educators, school staff, and administrators—all of them—are part of the backbone of our school communities. They deserve not only recognition, but genuine investment and respect.”
He thanked all those who remained at the negotiating table, who persevered through difficult conversations and who remained committed to reaching an agreement.
“This is what it looks like to choose collaboration over conflict, and students over stagnation. We move forward together, with a clear vision of the work ahead and united in the purpose of strengthening our schools for every student.”
Los Angeles School District Reaches Preliminary Agreement with Teachers Union
Los Angeles school district requires agreement with union to avoid strike
