Members of our SEIU 99 Bargaining Team: Bless Harrell, Andrea Weathersby, President Barbara Torres and Vice President Conrado Guerrero
Our SEIU 99 Bargaining Team met with LAUSD on September 30 to discuss our proposal to ensure every employee working at the District has access to the same high quality health care plan. Thousands of TA’s, Out-of -School Program Workers, Community Representatives and other workers in Units F &G currently don’t have access to the District’s health plan because it is too expensive or they are completely excluded from it. We presented our proposal to the District to cover these workers back in June and, still, they have no official response.
Instead of a counter proposal, all the District gave us for workers in Units F & G were some ideas they’ve been kicking around. Things like … a new high deductible plan, reduced benefits for new employees, no coverage for dependents, and cutting retiree benefits. What?!
“The District was unprepared,” said Local 99 Bargaining Team Member Andrea Weathersby, a T.A. at Purche Elementary School. “I believe four months is sufficient amount of time to look at our proposal and come up with some alternatives if they did not agree. But, to not even take the time to make a counter proposal means they are not taking us seriously. It seems that the district doesn’t want all employees to have healthcare.”
Our proposal is for fairness and equity for all LAUSD employees – not creating a second-class level of employees with lower benefits. If we go down this road, the District will start chipping away at all our health care benefits. We’re standing firm – quality health care benefits for all!
We delivered this message to the School Board on October 13 and we’ll continue to move forward. Our next bargaining session is scheduled for November.
Sign the Petition to the Superintendent and School Board! Click Here.
Let’s stand strong, if you’re not a member of SEIU Local 99, join us. Click here.
