The Los Angeles Unified School District and the union representing its teachers announced Tuesday that they have reached an interim labor agreement that includes a 21% pay increase and class size reductions.
“With this tentative agreement, LAUSD now has the opportunity to become one of the highest performing school districts in the nation,” Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of Teachers Los Angeles, said in a statement.
“We held firm in negotiating a number of initiatives because educators are the experts on what has the potential to transform LAUSD into a more equitable environment that not only improves student learning, but also quality of life for families in Los Angeles,” added Myart. – Cruz.
“Smaller class sizes will give our children the attention and care they need, and competitive salaries will enable our schools to recruit, retain and develop high-performing teachers and educators to shape our young people, the leaders of tomorrow,” said.
The district released a statement saying the agreement “significantly increases teacher salaries throughout the district.”
“This agreement also emphasizes education by reducing class sizes and increasing counseling and mental health services to better support and meet the needs of students,” according to the district. Consistent with the priorities of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s strategic plan, the settlement with UTLA addresses years of wage inequality and inflation.”
The tentative contract, which covers 2022-25, has yet to be ratified by members of the UTLA and the LAUSD Board of Education.
The district council is due to approve on Tuesday a labor agreement reached late last month with Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents service workers. This contract includes a salary increase of approximately 30% for janitors, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, teaching assistants and others.
The SEIU union staged a three-day strike in late March, and the UTLA union honored the strike line by closing schools in the district. Reaching an agreement with UTLA eliminates the possibility of another work stoppage.