School workers who suspended education for about half a million students with a three-day strike this week in Los Angeles won a 30 percent pay rise.
Bus drivers, cafeteria workers and special education teachers employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District — the second largest in the United States — stopped work Tuesday, calling for an end to so-called “poverty wages.”
As teachers refused to cross the picket line, the county’s massive public school system simply ground to a halt.
After talks between the Service Employees International Union Local 99 and the LAUSD board, a tentative agreement was announced Friday that meets the union’s demand for a pay rise of nearly a third.
Max Arias, left, Executive Director of SEIU Local 99, holds his fist up while standing arm-in-arm with Mayor Karen Bass, center, and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho during the Los Angeles Unified A school district reached an agreement with the SEIU Local 99 on Friday at City Hall in Los Angeles
A tentative settlement was reached to end a labor dispute involving the Los Angeles Unified School District and tens of thousands of unionists. Pictured are the workers during a day of strike earlier this week
Tens of thousands of public school workers, including bus drivers, catering workers, janitors and teaching assistants, took part in a three-day strike demanding fair wages and benefits
Union members demanded a 30 percent wage increase and better working conditions.
LAUSD initially offered a 23 percent wage increase over the next five years. SEIU said its workers earn about $25,000 a year on average.
The union said the wage increase will increase members’ average earnings to $33,000 a year from $25,000.
The proposed deal — which members must vote on — also includes a $1,000 bonus for all members who were in the district during the 2020-21 school year.
In its own statement, LAUSD said the deal “fixes historic wage inequalities, creates a massive expansion of health benefits for part-time workers, invests significant resources in workforce professional development, while maintaining financial stability for the district.”
An aerial view of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) workers and supporters gathering at Los Angeles State Historic Park on the final day of their three-day strike against the LAUSD
Although the strike forced some 400,000 students out of class for three days, many parents supported the union workers.
“This week the eyes of our entire nation were on the cooks, janitors and classroom assistants who make education possible in Los Angeles, a workforce that is overwhelmingly women and people of color,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99.
“We emerged from this week’s strike stronger than ever, showing the nation that unions are the most powerful force for economic opportunity and justice. The sacrifice, courage and strength of the members – and the solidarity of 35,000 teachers at UTLA – led to this moment.”
SEIU99 executive director Max Arias has led the support staff union on strike, insisting the strike was the workers’ “last resort”, reached only after nearly a year of negotiations for better wages
Local 99 represents approximately 30,000 teacher assistants, bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers and other support workers.
Los Angeles is one of America’s most expensive places to live, with high taxes and high grocery and utility bills.
According to real estate website Zillow, the average rent in the city is $3,000 a month.
The dispute was the latest labor dispute to rock the United States and comes as Americans grapple with an ongoing cost-of-living crisis that has caused the prices of essential goods and services to drop over the past year or so have shot up.
Figures released last week showed the consumer price index rose 6 percent year-on-year.