by Howard Blume. LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/hoUaBP
Fri., April 8, 2011 | 6:30 am - School officials next week will formally propose a one-year budget-cutting plan that could eliminate most of a roughly $400-million deficit in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The plan includes 12 furlough days worth $144 million, a $100-million loan from the fund that covers health benefits, and the intentional underfunding of the workers’ compensation fund and other obligations in the amount of $60 million.
The specifics were outlined in bulletin Thursday from Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, which represents principals and many other administrators. L.A. Unified confirmed the broad outlines of the proposal.
Other details have been disclosed in some meetings at school sites. At one, the principal said employees would have to sacrifice paid holidays. The 180-day school year is once again likely to be shortened by five instructional days, for which teachers and other employees would not be paid.
Union representatives often prefer furlough days to pay cuts or layoffs because the pay reductions are temporary and fewer jobs are lost.
If unions failed to accept the plan, and the district adopted no alternative for balancing its budget, officials would move forward with layoffs, which, at worst case, could number in the thousands.
The district’s preferred plan would still require at least an additional $100 million in cuts, which would probably still result in layoffs.
L.A. Unified is trying to close a “worst case” $408-million deficit if fund-raising proposals by Gov. Jerry Brown fall through. In that event, some legislators and analysts have said, the district’s deficit could rise well above $408 million.
FLASH!!! AALA BARGAINING BULLETIN
ASSOCIATED ADMINISTRATORS OF LOS ANGELES U P D A T E: Week of April 11, 2011 | http://bit.ly/gywmvB
7 April – The Board of Education has authorized Dr. John Deasy, Superintendent-Elect, to negotiate with all LAUSD bargaining units a one-year bridge plan to restore at least 80% of the funding cuts to the 2011- 2012 District budget, which would amount to approximately $304 million. The Board plans to go public with this proposal by Tuesday, April 12, 2011.
Included in the plan are the following components and their projected savings:
- Twelve furlough days $144 million
- A loan from the Health Benefits Fund reserve $100 million
- Temporary underfunding of Workers Compensation and other central District budgets $ 60 million
Dr. Deasy has informed AALA leadership that the District will relentlessly pursue state and federal revenue for the District starting immediately. He has pledged to work on returning Title I administrators to E Basis. Additionally, he has stated that the number of furlough days would be reduced if additional State funds become available to the District.
Under normal circumstances, negotiations are confidential. However, we are informing you of this breaking news because the District is going public with its proposal. Please know that the maintenance of health benefits and the restoration of AALA positions are our highest priorities.
Our negotiating team has not yet engaged in formal negotiations with LAUSD about this or other proposals. Obviously, no agreement has been reached. A bargaining session is scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2011, and it is anticipated that the District’s bridge plan will be discussed. Many other issues important to AALA members also will be on the table.
As always, AALA members will have the opportunity to ratify any agreement reached by the negotiating team. We will keep you posted in Update [http://www.aalausd.com/] as further information becomes available.
UPDATE FROM THE BLOGOSHERE
Subject: [Ed-LA] UTLA/LAUSD Negotiations Update (as reported at the North Area Meeting 4-6-11)
To: "PEAC" Progressive Educators L.A. Google Newsgroup peac_group@googlegroups.com
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2011, 2:06 AMColleagues,
Denise Rockwell-Woods [UTLA Director of Organizational Services] reported to us tonight that at today's negotiations, LAUSD presented their plan to save $256 million dollars, which would save SOME of the jobs threatened by the RIFs.
LAUSD proposed:
- Getting $144 million dollars by way of 12 furlough days, 7 of which
they want schools to remain open and EVERYONE working, apparently as slaves.- Borrowing $112 million from our Health Benefits Account.
- All of this, the district negotiators stated, must be agreed to by May 1.
There will be 9 more negotiating sessions.
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