99 NOTES E-Newsletter LAUSD Edition | First Issue, 2016

LAUSD Out-of-School Program Worker Bless Harrell talks about her struggles of living without health care coverage.

The Fight for Health Care Heats Up

At the start of winter break, SEIU 99 members let the District know that we will not let-up in our fight for health care. On December 21, 2015, dozens of members gathered at the front steps of LAUSD Headquarters to urge the Board to commit to ensuring all LAUSD working families have access to equal and affordable health care benefits.
Thousands of SEIU 99 members, including Teacher Assistants and After School Program Workers currently do not have access to the District’s health care coverage because it is unaffordable or they are simply shut-out of the plan. Additionally, this year, LAUSD Board Members and a new Superintendent will consider the recommendations from a financial review panel that call for rate increases of up to 10% for workers who already have health care coverage under the District’s plan. During the vigil, we urged the Board to consider the impact of their decisions on students and families. We reminded them that many LAUSD school workers are also parents of children attending District schools.
“As a mother, quality health care is very important to me. It’s why I choose to purchase LAUSD’s health care plan,” said Andrea Weathersby, a Teacher Assistant with two children in District schools. “But the cost of coverage is so high, I often have to make the choice: either I pay for coverage, put food on the table or pay the rent. … No one who works in our District and is dedicated to our students should have to make these hard choices.”
Our vigil received an immediate response from LAUSD Board President Steve Zimmer. He joined us saying, “We have always found a way to get there together when it’s about what is right, what is just, and what is moral. You have allies on the Board who will honor the moral contract that we have with all of our employees. And part of my moral contract is to make sure all LAUSD employees have health care.”
The vigil in December was just the first step. We’ll continue to hold the Board accountable to protect and expand health care for all dedicated school workers. Sign-up for updates at
http://99.seiu.org/hcjustice.

Keep Furlough Days in the Past – Let’s extend Prop. 30 Funding

Many of us still remember the devastating state budget cuts of a few years ago that led to furlough days and other cuts to jobs and student services. But we also remember that we stopped the cuts by increasing funding for our schools by passing Proposition 30, a state ballot initiative that increased taxes on the wealthy. This increased funding is due to expire in 2020, but we’re already gearing-up to ensure the rich continue to pay their fair share for education. This year, we’ll be working to put a measure on the November election ballot which will extend Prop. 30 funding. Look for more information soon on how we can make politics work for us – and our schools – by making sure this measure gets on the ballot and passes. More information is coming soon.

New Year Brings $15 Minimum to LAUSD

As workers throughout the country continue to fight to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and we work to put an initiative on the ballot to raise California’s minimum to $15, SEIU 99 members at LAUSD will lead the charge by actually seeing the District’s minimum increase to $15/hour on July 1, 2016. Workers already earning above $15 will see an additional 2.5% increase also effective July 1. These raises were negotiated in our last contract and the increase in the minimum wage at LAUSD raises the wage floor significantly for all workers. This will be critical as we also begin to prepare for our 2017 full contract negotiations this year.

Payroll Changes Coming in 2016

Starting on July 1, 2016, all employees at LAUSD will move to a semi-monthly pay cycle. This means all SEIU Local 99 members will be paid twice per month:

• On the 8th of each month for work performed the 16th through the end of the previous month
• On the 23rd of each month for work performed the 1st through the 15th of the current month

The first semi-monthly pay check is expected on July 23, 2016. This new pay cycle was negotiated in our last contract in order to address the many overpayment errors which were causing a great financial burden for many members.

As you transition to a semi-monthly pay system it is important to be aware of payroll deductions. Here is a helpful table of frequent payroll deductions:

Please note that if you currently have voluntary monthly deductions, you should review them and notify the District of any adjustments. Voluntary deductions that are currently taken once a month need to be adjusted accordingly. Otherwise, deductions may be deducted twice a month in some instances.

Our Union is continuing to work with the District to help members transition to this new system as smoothly as possible. We will continue to provide you with information as it becomes available.

Special Ed Paraprofessionals at LAUSD Stand United to Beat Back Unfair Attendance Policy

At the start of the 2015-16 school year, LAUSD issued an unfair attendance policy that targeted Special Ed Paraprofessionals. And to make matters worse, the District never discussed it with our Union. But that’s where the power of union strength came in. Special Ed Paraprofessionals came together to discuss our key concerns and Local 99 union members elected a negotiations team. Together with our member-led Special Ed Labor Management Committee, we demanded that the District negotiate with us. It took several months but Special Ed Paraprofessionals stuck together and we won!

On January 8, 2016, the District agreed to our demands and we reached agreement on a policy that is much fairer, completely eliminates some of the most punitive language and actually respects our contract. Here are some highlights:

• Supervisors or administrators – not Special Ed Paraprofessionals – are responsible for giving us our work schedules.
• If we have an emergency, we are not required to notify our administrator in advance. We do need to follow the procedures set in our contract.
• Paraprofessionals are to sign-in at the beginning of the shift and proceed immediately to our work area. We no longer have to be in two places at the same time.
• Paraprofessionals must notify an administrator or the person directing our work if our assigned meal or rest periods need to be adjusted due to work duties – and we don’t have to do this in advance.
• The District must follow the process in our contract to address any problems with excessive absenteeism. The District cannot set-up its own counseling or disciplinary procedures.
• Employees with good attendance will be commended.

Read the full language of the revised policy at bit.ly/1SKok4P

At a time when working people are facing attacks on their right to stand united to improve their jobs, this victory proves the power of being union strong. Congratulations to all members who spoke up and took action.

Want Better Schools? Billionaire’s Rush to Expand Charter Schools is Not the Answer

Billionaire Eli Broad released a plan to enroll half of LAUSD students in charter schools by 2023 — and he aims to start this year. While we agree that we should be working to make L.A. schools the best in the nation (many Local 99 members are parents after all), fast tracking charter schools is not the answer. Every child has a right to an excellent education regardless of what school they attend. That’s why we shouldn’t be pitting traditional public schools against charter schools. Instead we should be collaborating and looking at what’s working in all models. The problem with Eli Broad’s initiative is that it fails to do this. It adopts a business model to attract investors, but school workers, our communities and our children are not a real part of this plan. Plus there are no real guidelines or controls on how these schools will operate. That’s why our union has been working in a coalition that includes United Teachers Los Angeles and other unions and allies to voice our opposition. SEIU 99 Executive Director told the School Board at a recent meeting, “(The Broad plan) would devastate our public schools and lead to the closure of our local neighborhood schools, hurting students and our communities in the process.”