The agreement comes following a three-day strike that closed schools.
The Los Angeles public school district reached a “historic” agreement with its Service Employees International Union Local 99 on Friday, the district announced.
The agreement comes after the union’s members — which include bus drivers, cafeteria workers and special education assistants — went on strike for three days this week. The teachers union also honored the service union’s picket lines, forcing the Los Angeles Unified School District to cancel classes for 420,000 students for Tuesday through Thursday.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) workers and supporters rally in Los Angeles State Historic Park on the last day of a strike over a new contract, March 23, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The terms of the new contracts include a 6% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2021, a 7% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2022, and a 7% ongoing wage increase effective July 1, 2023, the district said.
The terms also include a $2 per hour increase for all employees effective Jan. 1, 2024, and brings the district’s minimum wage to $22.52 an hour, “outpacing the City of Los Angeles and the State of California,” Los Angeles Unified said.
“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 Carvalho said in a statement.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) workers and supporters rally in Los Angeles State Historic Park on the last day of a strike over a new contract, March 23, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The agreement is subject to ratification by bargaining unit members and the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education, the district said.
SEIU Local 99 has close to 30,000 members, many of which earn “poverty wages,” the union said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
