LAX Leader

Los Angeles Unified today announced that it has reached an agreement with SEIU Local 99 on a new contract that significantly increases salaries for close to 30,000 members. This agreement addresses historical pay inequities, creates a massive expansion of healthcare benefits for part-time employees, invests considerable resources into professional development for the workforce, all while maintaining financial stability for the District.

“I am appreciative of SEIU Local 99’s leadership for coming back to the table to negotiate an agreement that addresses the needs of our employees and brings students back to the classroom," Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “We also thank Mayor Bass for her support and leadership in facilitating negotiations. When we started negotiating with SEIU, we promised to deliver on three goals. We wanted to honor and elevate the dignity of our workforce and correct well-known, decades-long inequities impacting the lowest-wage earners. We wanted to continue supporting critical services for our students. We wanted to protect the financial viability of the District for the long haul. Promises made, promises delivered.”

"I want to thank SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho for working together with me to put our families first," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. "We must continue working together to address our city's high cost of living, to grow opportunity and to support more funding for LA’s public schools, which are the most powerful determinant of our city’s future. As Mayor, I have no formal authority over our schools. But that will never stop me when it comes to fighting for our children and their families."

Under the terms of the new contracts which span from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024, Los Angeles Unified and SEIU agreed to:

• Salary increases of:
  • 6% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2021

  • 7% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2022

  • 7% ongoing wage increase effective July 1, 2023

  • $2 per hour increase for all employees effective January 1, 2024

• Provide a $1,000 appreciation bonus for current employees who were with the District in the 2020-21 school year in recognition of in-person work during adverse circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Bring our Los Angeles Unified minimum wage to $22.52 an hour, outpacing the City of Los Angeles and the State of California.

• Secure health benefits for part-time employees assigned to work four or more hours a day, including coverage for their qualified dependents.

• Increase hours and compensation for paraprofessionals serving students with special needs.

• Invest $3 million in an Education and Professional Development Fund for SEIU members.

In addition, the District and SEIU reached agreement on the following:

• Respectful treatment

• Bus bidding process

• Terms for mandatory overtime 

• Joint Labor Management Committee for other issues

This agreement is a crucial step to provide equitable resources for the hardworking and dedicated employees who support the work of education. California is one of the one of the top-five largest economies in the world, and the District looks forward to the support from state leaders for deeper investments in public education, which is currently well below the national average in per student spending.

The agreement is subject to ratification by SEIU bargaining unit members and the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education.

Details from the agreement are available at https://achieve.lausd.net/schoolupdates 

Original source can be found here