SEIU Local 99 announced yesterday that union members had approved a new agreement with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) after an “overwhelming” vote that concluded on Wednesday.
“Fair wages is an investment to student services. This helps to retain & recruit experienced staff to contribute essential services for student learning,” writes Alex Hernandez-Cisneros, Custodian at Lincoln Middle School. “With better wages, we keep more experienced workers & improve our ability to retain quality qualified staff.”
Highlights of the agreement include:
- 18% wage increase that will begin to lift workers out of poverty.
- $1000 bonus
- Increased hours for workers providing critical student services including Security Officers, Special Education Assistants, Health Office Specialists, and Food & Nutrition Service Workers.
- Improved health care benefits for part time workers, including reduced out-of-pocket costs for workers.
- 1 additional bereavement day for a death outside of immediate family.
- $20,000 life insurance benefit at no cost to the employee.
The school district has also provided a more detailed summary of the agreement, which can be read here.
SEIU Local 99 Executive Director, Max Arias shares the importance of this contract, “Every student at SMMUSD deserves clean, safe, & supportive schools. This contract is a step in the right direction toward recognizing the essential work of front-line workers and their contributions to student learning.”
The SMMUSD Board of Education needs to ratify the deal before it is finalized, but the board’s support is considered all-but a foregone conclusion. The item will not appear on next week’s agenda, but will be included on one of the three meetings before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
