Tentative agreement reached to end teachers strike
SANTA FE SPRINGS – Teachers in the Little Lake City School District will return to their classrooms Thursday after a tentative agreement on a new contract was reached, ending their 14-day strike.
Details on the agreement announced Wednesday night were not released. Wednesday was the third consecutive day negotiators met. Monday’s negotiations were the first since Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez abruptly moved up his retirement date to Monday from the summer.
Longtime administrator Monica Martinez-Johnson was appointed as interim superintendent Sunday at a special meeting of the Board of Education.
The 14-day walkout that began April 16 was the third-longest teachers’ strike in California since 1996, behind the 34-day strike in Oakland in 1996 and this year’s 18-day work stoppage in the Sacramento-area Twin Rivers Unified School District, according to the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest education union.
The district serves students in portions of Santa Fe Springs, where it is headquartered, Norwalk and a small part of Downey.
The Little Lake Educators Association, the union representing the district’s teachers, issued a statement declaring, “Educators fought to protect class sizes and won, after the district proposed raising them to the maximum amount allowed by California law. They also won additional support for Little Lake’s growing population of students with special education needs after the district had initially rejected the request.
“Additionally, educators also fought to lower their high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, since the district cut benefits in the middle of the year forcing educators to pay up to $1,400.”
In its statement, the district said, “Throughout this process, both sides remained committed to reaching a resolution grounded in a shared understanding that students belong in classrooms, supported by the teachers and school communities they rely on every day.
“We recognize the impact this has had on students, families, teachers, staff and the broader community, and we are grateful for the patience and resilience shown during this time.
“This agreement reflects meaningful progress and a renewed focus on what matters most: restoring stability for students, supporting our teachers, and getting educators back into classrooms as quickly as possible while maintaining the fiscal responsibility needed to protect the long-term stability of the district.”
Union officials said the dispute centered on proposed midyear health care changes that could have increased some employees’ monthly costs to as much as $1,400, which they contend amounts to a pay cut. They also called for smaller class sizes and more support for special education programs.
According to an “update for our school community” released by the district last Thursday, the district’s proposal at that day’s bargaining session included six options for healthcare for teachers, with the district offering to pay 85%-90%, depending on the plan. Five of the options require larger class sizes, according to the district.
The district said “even with the class size increases listed in some of the plans, class sizes would still be smaller than most neighboring school districts.”
The district warned in the update, “if we overspend the state can take over and that would mean losing local control over your children’s education.”
The union is also seeking to recall all five members of the Board of Education.