Collective Bargaining » 2022-23 Collective Bargaining

2022-23 Collective Bargaining

Updates from the Negotiating Table

On Nov. 28, 2022, Lynwood Unified School District and the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA) engaged in their first negotiating session to renew the full contract that expired on June 30, 2022. Teams worked in good faith to come to agreements on several articles with additional discussions on salary increases taking place.
 
In May 2023, the District and LTA, along with our other labor partner CSEA, reached agreements that provide teachers and classified staff 12% in ongoing raises, 12% in one-time bonuses and increased benefits for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

Lynwood Unified, LTA & CSEA Reach Agreement
on Contracts for 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years

Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite Provides an
Update on Lynwood Unified's Budget

Negotiations Updates | Community

 
 
Dear Lynwood Unified Community:
 
On April 27, the negotiations teams for the District and the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA) held their eighth meeting since negotiations began in November 2022. Important and productive conversations took place, but salary and benefits continue to be discussed. 
 
While the District’s current proposal of a 5% salary increase plus a one-time 5% bonus remains on the table, we have amended the salary offer to add two additional work days at a full pay rate, which would amount to an additional increase in salary of approximately 1-2%
 
To put it into perspective, Lynwood Unified teachers are expected to work on-site 6.5 hours a day over a 185-workday calendar year. The average annual teacher salary is $90,000, or $118,200 with benefits. Teachers automatically earn 1.5%, or $1,350, more each year when they move up on the salary schedule. They are also paid $57 for each additional hour of work, including summer school, after-school classes and tutoring, which they have chosen to forego since initiating their Work-to-Rule policy earlier this month. Below is how our 5% proposal would impact teachers: 
 
Approx. Annual Salary New annual salary +5% Bonus
$55,470 $58,243  $2,773
$90,000 $94,500  $4,500
$105,450 $110,722  $5,272
 
Teachers are asking for a 14% salary increase, which could trigger bankruptcy, takeover by the County (SEE LETTER FROM LACOE HERE), layoffs and reduced services to students. These are scenarios we are working hard to avoid.
 
To get a better understanding of our District finances and budgetary challenges, please take a moment to hear directly from Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite, who addresses questions, concerns and the negotiations process in this video presentation: bit.ly/LUSDBudgetPresentation
 
Both teams are fully committed to continuing negotiations and will jointly participate in training on the Governor’s May Revise budget information to determine possible impacts on the District’s budget. We remain hopeful for a resolution that supports our teachers’ well-being and ensures our District’s continued financial health for the benefit of all Lynwood Unified students and families.
 
Please continue to stay updated on our negotiations process: bit.ly/LUSDNegotiations2023.
 
Sincerely,
 
Lynwood Unified School District
 
Dear Lynwood Unified Community,

Lynwood Unified School District is dedicated to maintaining a strong relationship with its community, providing supportive learning environments that foster student excellence and being fully transparent in our decision-making to ensure there is trust and confidence in the District and its long-term financial health.

As we prepare for graduation season and other exciting academic milestones, however, we are facing some challenging circumstances and wanted to make certain you hear directly from us what some of those challenges are.

As you may be aware, the District has not yet been able to reach an agreement with the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA), the labor union representing our teachers with whom we’ve been in negotiations since November 2022.  

LTA has announced that starting Monday, April 3, members will begin to engage in “Work-to-Rule,” a union action that calls for teachers to no longer engage in any work-related activities outside their contracted workday, likely impacting students’ activities outside of the classroom. 

This may lead to reduced teacher participation in and/or cancellation of after-school clubs, athletics, tutoring and credit-recovery classes across the District until further notice. 

We understand this may impact our students and families and that you may have concerns about how your child will be supported during this time. Please reach out to your school principal if you have any questions or concerns.

With that said, Lynwood Unified is dedicated to continuing to meet in good faith and engage in collaborative conversations with our union partner, whose work in our District and on behalf of our students we greatly value and does not go unnoticed. The District and our Board of Education are committed to providing our dedicated teachers the highest level of compensation possible. 

We remain hopeful to come to an agreement and finalize a contract to avoid further impacts on our students and families who rely heavily on our schools, programs and support services.

As part of our commitment to providing our community with accurate information on the District’s budget, we have created an FAQ to help answer questions you may have. We encourage you to stay up to date on our website

Sincerely,
 
Gudiel R. Crosthwaite, Ph.D.
Superintendent 
 
Dear Lynwood Unified Community,
 
We would like to provide you with an update on our ongoing negotiations with the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA), our teacher’s union. 
 
Our most recent meeting was held on Monday, March 27, during which the District presented a counter proposal on Summer School. The District also provided additional clarifying information regarding the state of the District’s budget and what our financial situation looks like.
 
As you may know, school districts, including Lynwood Unified, are required to demonstrate that after a salary increase, they are still able to pay their bills and meet all financial obligations in each of the next two subsequent school years. 
 
Because of this, the maximum amount Lynwood Unified can offer our teachers is a 5% salary increase – or about $6.5 million – retroactive to July 1, 2022, and a one-time bonus of 5%. With this salary increase proposal, teachers would experience a 14.5% increase in salary from 2018 and bonuses equal to 12% of salary.
 
The teams agreed to meet again in late April in good-faith efforts to continue to reach an agreement.
 
We want to emphasize how much we value our teachers and are working hard to give them the highest salary feasible without jeopardizing the financial stability of our District or the educational excellence of our students.
 
Please visit our website to stay updated. Thank you for your continued support of our schools.
 
Sincerely,
 
Gudiel R. Crosthwaite, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
 
Dear Lynwood Unified Community,
 
We would like to provide you with an update on our ongoing negotiations with the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA), our teacher’s union. We fully appreciate the tremendous dedication our Lynwood educators put into their work every day and the exceptional support they give to our students and families as they achieve academic success.
 
We have been actively negotiating with LTA since November 2022, reaching tentative agreements on several topics, including class size and working conditions. On March 17, the negotiating teams representing the District and LTA met to review salary increases. 
 
The District is offering a 5% salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2022. The current offer also includes a one-time bonus of 5% of 2022-23 salary. With this salary increase proposal, teachers would experience a 14.5% increase in salary from 2018 and bonuses equal to 12% of salary. 
 
This year’s offer would represent approximately $6.5 million in increased pay to our valued teachers.
 
We know there is some misinformation about our budget circulating in our community. Please join us for a community webinar to learn more about our budgetary challenges at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 22 via Zoom. Please click here for the link. The passcode is h1wzD3. 
 
Thank you for your continued support of our students and our schools.
 
Sincerely,
Gudiel R. Crosthwaite
Superintendent of Schools

Negotiations Updates | Staff

 
Dear Lynwood Unified Staff:
 
The District and LTA continued to meet today, holding important and productive conversations. 
 
While the District’s current proposal of a 5% increase on the salary schedule plus a one-time bonus of 5% of earned base salary remains on the table, we have amended the salary offer to add two additional work days at a full pay rate, which would amount to an additional increase in salary of approximately 1-2%. 
 
To get a better understanding of our District finances and budgetary challenges, please take a moment to hear directly from Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite, who addresses questions, concerns and the negotiations process in this video presentation: https://bit.ly/LUSDBudgetPresentation
 
Both parties remain fully committed to continuing negotiations and will jointly participate in training on the Governor’s May Revise budget information to determine possible impacts on the District’s budget.
 
Please continue to stay updated on our negotiations process: https://bit.ly/LUSDNegotiations2023
 

The negotiations teams for the District and Lynwood Teachers Association met on Monday, March 27 to continue negotiation discussions. 

 

The District presented a counter proposal on Summer School as well as additional clarifying information regarding the state of the District’s budget, including:

 

  • How ADA is calculated
  • Types of funding sources (restricted vs. unrestricted)
  • COLA LFCC Base revenue

 

As you know, school districts, including Lynwood Unified, are mandated to demonstrate that after a compensation increase, they are still able to meet all financial obligations in each of the next two subsequent school years. 

 

As such, the maximum amount that Lynwood Unified can offer is a 5% salary increase or about $6.5 million retroactive to July 1, 2022 and a one-time bonus of 5%.

 

The teams agreed to meet again in late April in good-faith efforts to continue to reach agreement. Please visit our website to stay updated. 

See update here.

Yesterday, the Lynwood Unified School District and the Lynwood Teachers Association met in negotiations to review a salary increase proposal.

The District is offering a 5% salary increase, retroactive to July 1, 2022. Additionally, the current offer includes a one-time bonus of 5% of 2022-23 salary. With this salary increase proposal, teachers would experience a 14.5% increase in salary from 2018 and bonuses equal to 12% of salary. This year’s offer would represent approximately $6.5 million in increased pay to teachers.

The District has extensively evaluated its budget to offer the highest compensation possible while remaining fiscally solvent as we provide robust educational opportunities for students. The District shared and discussed our adopted budget with the LTA negotiations team to explain the District’s current financial status.

It is important to note that school budgetary constraints in Lynwood mirror that of many school districts not only in Los Angeles County and California but across the nation. Below are some significant factors to keep in mind:

  • K-12 enrollment has fallen sharply over the last several years - a challenge that all districts in Los Angeles County are grappling with. Lower birth rates and increases in the cost of living in our area result in fewer students in our schools. The fewer students we have, the fewer dollars we receive.
  • While funding drops because of fewer students, California schools are provided no relief from the State to address increased costs associated with contributions to employee pension plans and specialized programs, such as special education.
  • This results in deficit spending. Lynwood was mandated by LACOE to provide a Fiscal Stabilization Plan to address deficit spending totaling $10.9 million in 2022-23.
  • The future of California’s budget looks grim. School districts must prepare for funding reductions or cash deferrals in the upcoming school year. Governor Newsom shared in January that he anticipates a $22.5 billion statewide budget deficit in 2023-24.
  • California’s budget is built on a progressive tax structure that relies heavily on personal income tax for the State’s highest earners. Massive layoffs in the technology sector as well as challenges in the stock market mean that personal income tax receipts will be lower and the budget will be negatively impacted.
 

While we have reached agreement on several topics, we are committed to continuing our discussions with LTA as we progress through bargaining efforts in good faith.

See update here.

 

The District and LTA met on Monday, Feb. 28 to continue negotiations. Proposals on summer school were exchanged, and there remains one outstanding item before hopefully reaching a tentative agreement on the summer school article soon.

 

The District’s new Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, Dr. Gretchen Janson, provided the negotiations teams with a status of the budget development. This presentation can be found here. Key points include:

 

  • An overview of the Second Interim Budget that reflects current deficit spending
  • An overview of the difference between the COLA percentage and the actual dollar increase districts receive when they are experiencing declining enrollment.
  • The impact the Voluntary Retirement Program and other staffing adjustments will have on decreasing future expenditures. This adjustment is currently being processed and will be shared at the next bargaining session.

 

While the District has not made an offer yet on salary and benefits, we are diligently working on budget adjustments, analysis, and reviews to be able to make the highest possible offer to our employees while maintaining a secure fiscal future and robust programs supportive of student success.

 

With this in mind, it is important to emphasize the critical difference between money that can be spent on teacher salaries and benefits and funding that is restricted in use, such as the $250 million recently allocated to the District by the state. Much like facility bonds, this funding must be legally used for its intended use - reconstructing our fallen Lynwood High School Imperial Campus - and not on employee salaries.

 

We fully appreciate the hard work and tremendous dedication of our Lynwood educators and will proceed in good faith to ensure the continued well-being of our school community.

See update here.

 

Over the course of five meetings from November 2022 to January 2023, the Lynwood Teachers’ Association and District teams continued to meet, reaching agreement on eight Articles. Still outstanding are Summer School, Salaries, and Health & Welfare benefits.

 

LTA submitted a 14.5% salary request at the Nov. 28, 2022 meeting. The District anticipates remaining discussions to take place beginning in late-February.

 

We understand that post-pandemic challenges have been difficult for our teachers and are further compounded by the rising cost of living. Keeping this in mind, we are moving forward in good faith and recognize our responsibility to resolve negotiations when all pertinent information is in place and we have a stabilized budget.

 

With the recent Governor’s Budget proposal and cost savings associated with staff who participated in the Voluntary Retirement Program, the Business Services department is updating our multi-year budget projections.

 

We are inviting the three associations to join us in developing a multi-year budget that continues to focus on students while supporting our employees, who have received 9.5% on-schedule and 10% off-schedule raises over the last five years.

 

We fully appreciate the tremendous dedication our Lynwood educators put into their work every day and the support they give to our students and families. The District remains fully committed to providing appropriate salary and benefits increases to employees while maintaining a fiscally sound budget that keeps in mind the well-being of our school community into the future.

See update here. 

 

Over the course of three meetings in January, the Lynwood Teachers’ Association and the District teams continued to meet and reach agreement on several more Articles. This brings the total Articles that we have reached agreement on to eight. In January, the teams agreed on:

 

  • Article 10 Working Conditions - providing additional preparation days for “late hire” employees, commitment to the first instructional day as a minimum day, and providing clarifying language to the non-instructional professional development days.
  • Article 12 Transfers - providing clarifying language on the transfer process and additional days of “moving time” for teachers transferring.
  • Article 11 Special Education - providing class size expectations for Moderate-Severe classes, ensuring District-provided legal consultation prior to due-process hearings, and increased details to Special Education committee requirements.

 

Still outstanding are Summer School, Salaries, and Health & Welfare benefits. The Business Services department is finalizing budget projections and the District anticipates these remaining discussions to take place beginning in mid-February. The District remains fully committed to providing appropriate salary and benefits increases to employees while maintaining a fiscally sound budget that keeps in mind the well-being of our school community into the future.

 
On Monday, November 28, 2022, the negotiating teams for the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA) and the Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD) had their first negotiating session to renew the full contract that expired on June 30, 2022. 
 
The negotiation session was very productive and the teams have agreed to reconvene on Wednesday, December 7th with other sessions scheduled for January 10th and January 13th.
 
LTA presented eight articles to LUSD and there was a tentative agreement on five of the articles:
 
  • Article I Membership: K-12 Virtual teachers and continuation teachers were added to the article
  • Article III Association Rights: LUSD will increase paid hours during the summer for the LTA President to address union issues that may arise; timelines were adjusted for the district to provide membership information to LTA
  • Article XIV Class Size: language was added to align with Ed Code requirements on adult to student ratio in TK class settings
  • Article XIX Successor Agreement: the language was clarified on the timeline to begin successor agreement negotiations
  • Article XXII Duration and Reopeners: updated language on the years when reopeners can be negotiated for this new contract
 
LUSD and LTA also came to an agreement on a side letter stating that the current successor negotiations and tentative agreement reached for the 2022-23 bargaining year will also complete the 2022-23 reopener negotiations.

Important Information and Presentations