Los Angeles school workers reach contract agreement with district By Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Los Angeles school officials reached an agreement on a tentative contract with some 30,000 education workers on Friday, a day after the union ended a three-day strike that disrupted class and social services in the nation’s second-largest school district.

The contract, which is subject to a vote by the union members, significantly increases salaries for employees, expands healthcare benefits for part-time workers, and invests “considerable resources into development of the workforce, the Los Angeles Unified School District said.

The union, SEIU Local 99, in a separate statement, said the agreement includes a 30% wage increase and retroactive pay of $4,000 to $8,000.

“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 Carvalho said.

The union, in its statement, said: “The agreement addresses our key demands and sets us on a clear pathway to improving our livelihoods and securing the staffing we need to improve student services. It was members’ dedication to winning respect from the District that made this agreement possible.

The union did not say in its statement when the contract would be put before members for a vote.