LOS ANGELES SUPPORT WORKERS END STRIKE GETTING 30% RAISES; PETITION FOR A VOTE ON UFT MEMBER HEALTHCARE CHANGES GETS 1,200 SIGNATURES IN WEEK ONE

The LA school worker possibly illegal strike that the teachers joined in sympathy is over. There is a tentative agreement that still needs to be ratified. 

The LA Times:

A tentative agreement reached Friday between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the union representing support staff won raises of about 30% or more for the lowest-wage workers, one day after the end of a strike that shut down schools for three days.

If approved by union members, the agreement — achieved after mediation with Mayor Karen Bass — could prevent campuses from being closed again to 420,000 students and spare workers from job actions that would have been difficult to bear.

Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union — which represents about 30,000 employees and includes bus drivers, teacher aides, special-education assistants, custodians and food service workers — led the strike that began Tuesday and ended Thursday. Also on strike in solidarity were members of United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents about 35,000 teachers, counselors, therapists, nurses and librarians. UTLA remains in negotiations over its contract.

The deal with Local 99 is not an across-the-board increase but spread out over time and also affected by length of service and current salary — so that some workers will receive less than 30% and some more.

Some further details on the breakdown of the increases:

At the grassroots level the deal translates to Erika Rioverde moving from about $15 an hour to the district’s new minimum of $22.52.

The general raises include retroactive payments for workers employed at the time: 6% as of July 1, 2021; 7% more as of July 1, 2022; and 7% more as of July 1, 2023. Workers active in 2020 also will receive a $1,000 bonus. And on July 1, 2024, all workers will receive $2 an hour more, which will most benefit those at the bottom end of the scale.

As for the teachers:

Also on strike in solidarity were members of United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents about 35,000 teachers, counselors, therapists, nurses and librarians. UTLA remains in negotiations over its contract.

These teachers have a decent blueprint they can work from as they negotiate.

Before the strike, the District's offer was for 23%.  The 30% settlement almost doubles the NYC pattern setting increases DC 37 got and their members are now voting on for about 16% compounded over 5.5 years. The UFT leadership from Unity Caucus is now touting pattern bargaining and scoffing at the idea of striking.

NICE START FOR PETITION TO GET A MEMBER VOTE ON SIGNIFICANT HEALTHCARE CHANGES

This came from Educators of NYC on Twitter:

As wk 1 of our

@UFT

healthcare referendum petition wraps up, here are some stats: - 16k page views - ~1k electronic petition requests - ~1.1 - 1.2k wet and digitally signed petitions - School chapters send in pages w/ avg 30-50 sigs Actives + retirees http://hcpetition.educators.nyc

hcpetitio this if everyone contributes.