VOTE EXPECTED TO FINISH TODAY ON DRAFT LABOR AGREEMENT WITH 10 FURLOUGH DAYS FOR LAUSD TEACHERS

City News Service, from LA Daily News |  http://bit.ly/MvQ7mR

6/15/2012 09:53:11 AM PDT  ::  LOS ANGELES - Teachers are expected to finish voting today on a draft labor agreement that provides for them to take 10 furlough days during the coming school year to save the jobs of thousands of employees.

Superintendent John Deasy said earlier this week that the agreements the Los Angeles Unified School District has reached with all the unions representing its employees will, once ratified, prevent the layoffs of about 4,500 teachers and "thousands and thousands" of other district workers. He said it also would prevent some planned cuts to early education and adult education programs.

While not all of the adult education programs will be saved by the deals, "the heart of the program is back with us," he said., adding that the exact number of jobs saved was expected to be finalized once the unions ratify the pacts.

"This will allow the overwhelming majority of our programs to be sustained for another year," he told the Board of Education Tuesday.

In the face of an estimated $390 million budget deficit, the district earlier this year issued more than 9,000 layoff warning notices to employees.

In recent weeks, the district announced pacts being reached with various labor unions. A week ago today, it announced it had reached an accord with United Teachers Los Angeles calling for teachers to take 10 unpaid days during the 2012-13 school year.

Under the UTLA pact, there will be five fewer teaching days during the coming school year. Teachers would also take one "unpaid pupil-free day" and four other non-paid days.

"I urge every UTLA member to ratify this agreement," Board of Education member Steve Zimmer said Thursday. "With this vote, you can stabilize schools and save programs that define public education as we know it."

The results of the UTLA vote are expected to be announced Saturday.