FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Blanca Gallegos, Communications Director
213.387.8393 x219 | bgallegos@seiu99.org
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Monday, November 23, 2009
School workers at Los Angeles Unified School District Vote To Approve Furlough Days
LOS ANGELES, CA – Cafeteria Workers, Building & Grounds Workers, Special Education Aides, Bus Drivers and other classified employees in Units B & C at the Los Angeles Unified School District voted in favor of taking four furlough days in the 2009-10 school year to protect student programs from further budget cuts and prevent future job loss. LAUSD calculates that the furloughs will save the District $7.7 million this fiscal year.
“We understand these are dire economic times and we are willing to do our part to ensure that students continue to receive a good education,” said SEIU Local 99 President Edward Reed, a Bus Driver at LAUSD. “However, the decision to accept these furlough days does not come easily. This represents a sacrifice for our families. But by each of us taking on a bit of the hardship it is our goal to prevent more layoffs in the future and ensure that students continue to receive the services they need to learn.”
Details of the agreement ratified by SEIU Local 99 members include:
• Furlough days will be taken one per month starting in February, 2010 through May, 2010. The District will schedule the unpaid days off for each employee in a manner that will be least disruptive to students.
• If the District’s deficit is not over $59 million by January 31, 2010, there will be no layoffs due to state budget cuts for the rest of the current school year, beyond those that are already scheduled.
• If the District’s budget deficit exceeds $59 million by January 31, 2010, SEIU Local 99 will again meet with the District to discuss other cost saving measures.
• When Proposition 98 funds are restored to the District, SEIU Local 99 will negotiate with LAUSD over reimbursing workers for the wages and benefits lost as a result of furlough days.
For Bus Drivers at LAUSD, the four furlough days are in addition to the six unpaid days they had previously voted to accept to maintain full time positions.
SEIU Local 99 is a union of more than 43,000 dedicated education workers who guide our children from preschool and kindergarten, through grade school, high school, and at community colleges. We are teachers, paraeducators, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, first responders, and others working in schools, colleges, and administrative offices throughout Southern California. We are part of SEIU International, the fastest-growing union in North America with 2.1 million members.
