One of the biggest winners of last week’s L.A. Unified strike appears to be Mayor Karen Bass. With her last-minute mediation, the two sides have finally been able to reach a tentative agreement. If finalized, it would prevent another round of closures impacting hundreds of thousands of students.
Bass said SIEU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho “stepped up in such a big way.”
“I am hopeful that is the beginning of a new relationship that will lead to a stronger LAUSD.”
The deal calls for increasing the minimum wage of all LAUSD workers to $22.52 per hour with 6% wage increases retroactive to July 1, 2021; 7% wage increases retroactive to July 1, 2022; 7% wage increases effective July 1, 2023; a $2-per-hour increase for all employees effective January 1, 2024; a $1,000 appreciation bonus for employees who have been with the district since 2020-21; and health benefits for part-time employees working four or more hours per day.
Many, though not all, employees will end up with the 30% increases that the union had demanded. By staggering the spending, Carvalho said he was able to acquiesce without financial harm to the district.
Experts say the strike is a testament to labor’s emboldened status and its willingness to lay it all on the line. It was also the biggest leadership test Bass has faced since taking office. It looks like she passed.
See also:
LAUSD strike may have been illegal -- trial can move ahead, labor board says