the masters of Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD) began to raise their voices demanding a pay rise.
The teachers say they have been without a contract for more than 300 days and hope their district will offer similar raises to other localities.
Some 600 teachers from about 20 schools in the school district are demanding that a collective agreement be reached to offer them better salaries.
A tentative labor agreement was reached Tuesday between teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District and the district. The agreement would prevent another demonstration by workers in the district.
“We need a raise like all the districts around us,” said Glenda Arellano, president of the Lynwood Teachers Association. “They get a raise and they were already getting more salaries.”
Educators claim they receive 30% less income than employees in other nearby school districts.
They also acknowledge having been inspired by the last historic negotiations which Los Angeles Unified School District teachers have reached (LAUSD) to continue their fight.
Some mothers showed their support for the teachers. They fear that the best educators will go to other districts in search of higher salaries.
“The district here doesn’t value them. They (the school district) give each other their raises, they fill their jobs but they don’t take care of our teachers,” said Maricruz Sanches, a mother.
The superintendent informed Telemundo 52 that they were offering him a seven percent raise and an additional five for this school year. He assured that the increase will be retroactive.
Tonight, the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees passed a controversial motion supporting a state initiative that would require teachers to notify parents if their children identify as transgender students.
“They’re asking for 14% and we know if we do that we’re going to reduce staff and maybe have more students in each class,” said LUSD Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite.
The teachers’ association is calling for transparency because it believes the school district has a budget surplus.
These negotiations are only about an employment contract that lasts only one year, for the period of the school year, which is about to end, in about 30 more days.