The Long Beach Unified School District and the Teachers Association of Long Beach have reached a tentative contract agreement that includes a 4.53 percent salary increase retroactive beginning from July 1, 2007.
The school district and TALB announced the tentative deal Friday in a joint news release.
“It’s time for our teachers to receive their fair share, and this contract accomplishes that,” said Barry Welsch, TALB bargaining chair. “We believe this contract offers competitive salary and benefits for our members.”
“Our hard-working teachers will receive a fair contract that includes a substantial salary increase in spite of lean economic times,” said Christopher J. Steinhauser, LBUSD superintendent. “We must maintain our ability to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers. We believe this contract will help us to do that.”
The agreement comes after limited reopener negotiations on an existing three-year contract that expires in August. The tentative deal includes an agreement on teacher evaluations that incorporates a five-year cycle for qualified teachers.
The two negotiating teams also agreed to form a joint committee to review and suggest revisions, if necessary, to evaluation forms. Likewise, the school district and TALB will form a joint committee to review safety. No changes to employee benefits were proposed.
TALB’s membership will vote on the contract ratification in February, after which it will go to the LBUSD Board of Education and Los Angeles County Office of Education for approval.
Most other employees in the school district recently received a 4.53-percent raise with no changes to health benefits.
This deal was approved by a 98-percent vote of the local chapter of the California School Employees Association and it was extended to unrepresented employees, including confidential, classified supervisory, classified and certificated managers, substitute teachers and other employees.
TALB represents the school district’s 4,500 teachers.
