The Long Beach Unified School District and teachers union finalized new tentative contract agreements on Thursday after months of protracted negotiations following union members’ unprecedented rejection of the last proposal in June.
Teachers Association of Long Beach president Gerry Morrison is urging members to vote yes on the new agreements, which cover K-12 educators as well as Child Development Center and Head Start teachers. “It’s important to lock in this deal,” Morrison said, calling it “the best we could get under the circumstances,” referring to the district’s large budget deficit and the threat of layoffs.
The bargaining team believes they have negotiated improvements on the last tentative agreement, Morrison said in a video addressed to members. If passed, the contract would cover members through June 2028, though some articles reopen for negotiation each year…