Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has reached an agreement with its cafeteria workers and other service staff represented by SEIU Local 99.
Under the district's agreement with the union, employees will receive a 30% wage increase, fully paid healthcare benefits and more.
Workers held a three-day strike last week when negotiations with the district over higher wages and better hours had stalled. The union and the district resumed negotiations late last week and were able to reach an agreement after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass intervened and acted as a mediator between the two parties.
“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 M. Carvalho said in a statement. “We also thank Mayor Bass for her support and leadership in facilitating negotiations. When we started negotiating with SEIU, we promised to deliver on three goals. We wanted to honor and elevate the dignity of our workforce and correct well-known, decades-long inequities impacting the lowest-wage earners. We wanted to continue supporting critical services for our students. We wanted to protect the financial viability of the District for the long haul. Promises made, promises delivered.”
United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing over 30,000 teachers at LAUSD, decided to strike in solidarity with the service workers, forcing the district to shut down. During the strike, LAUSD provided meal kits to students via pickup locations throughout the city.