UTLA’s expanded member bargaining team met with LAUSD yesterday to continue contract negotiations — the first session after the district announced its projected reserve will grow to $4.9 billion by the end of this school year.
Instead of using that reserve to support educators and students, LAUSD increased its salary proposal by a paltry 1% and tried to roll back our class-size victory from the 2019 strike.LAUSD SALARY PROPOSAL
• 2022-23: 5% salary increase, 4% bonus
• 2023-24: 5% salary increase, 5% bonus
OUR BARGAINING TEAM REJECTED THIS.
LAUSD can afford our salary proposal, which is a 20% salary increase over two years. The cost of living has only increased since we made our salary demand. We need and deserve the full 20% increase.
• One-time bonuses do not change employees’ base rate.
• One-time bonuses do not go to pension calculations.
• The educator shortage crisis will not be solved by bonuses — educators need a salary increase to close the wage gap with other professions.
LAUSD CLASS-SIZE PROPOSAL
The district is proposing changes that would allow them to massively increase class size. In our 2019 strike, we won the elimination of contract language that allowed LAUSD to exceed class size maximums. Their proposal would roll that back and says if a teacher’s class-size increases by two or more students for two reporting periods (two months) they get a one-time $500 bonus for the semester. Basically, under their proposal, for a cost of $500 a semester LAUSD would be able to add as many students as they want to your class.
• We need class-size reduction across LAUSD and additional counselors and other student support staff — LAUSD can afford it and students need it.
• $500 a semester is not a high-enough penalty to force the district to meet the class-size requirements. Their proposal would allow LAUSD to pay just $500 and increase class size by 2 students above the current max, or by 5 students, or by 10 students — there is no limit.
In bargaining we had a somewhat productive back and forth on some elements of our proposals related to substitute employee compensation for longer-term assignments, Early Educator rights, and compensation for PD overall — but LAUSD brought no significant proposals forward and continues to reject virtually every demand developed by educators and parents.
This bargaining session made it clear that we need to escalate our collective action. We need a contract agreement this school year. LAUSD has more money than ever and has no excuse not to meet our demands.
Carvalho needs to see a demonstration of educator power that makes it clear he better settle the contract now.
Connect with your Chapter to learn more about next steps.
