LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Unified School District reached a tentative agreement tonight with the union representing its service workers on a three-year contract, averting a planned one-day strike next week.
The contract guarantees raises for the first year, provides economic wage supplements for the second year, which can turn into permanent raises, depending on the financial health of the district, and provides an economic re- opener for the third year, according to the district's Shannon Haber.
``Thank you to the SEIU Local 99 and our district's labor team for coming to a tentative agreement this evening,'' interim Superintendent Vivian Ekchian said. ``We worked diligently with SEIU Local 99 leadership to arrive at a long-term solution that meets the needs of our students and employees.''
Said SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias: ``Our members are proud of the work they do every day on the front lines of educating our students. We feel this is a great step from L.A. Unified in recognizing our contributions to the district. We look forward to improving educational outcomes, as well as the wages and working conditions of classified employees.''
The union had called a one-day strike next Tuesday to protest what it called unfair labor practices. United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing the district's teachers, announced Tuesday it would join the strike.
SEIU Local 99 represents about 30,000 people, including custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, teachers' assistants, truck drivers and other support workers.
The agreement needs to be approved by both the Board of Education and union to go into effect.
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