Feb. 10, 2009: Health Care Victory: WE DID IT! Tentative Agreement Reached

UPCOMING VOTE
Health Care Tentative Agreement Vote (March 20-25)

UTLA members will vote at school sites March 20-25 on the tentative health benefits agreement reached with LAUSD.

Voting packets will be distributed at the March 18 Area meeting. It is very important that chapter chairs attend or send a designee to the meeting.

- Balloting Timeline
- Health Care Tentative Agreement text
- Flyer Announcing Vote

Strike authorization vote postponed
The tentative agreement must be approved by the eight LAUSD unions and the School Board. Because of the need for a swift vote so the agreement can be finalized, the UTLA balloting will be held on the dates previously set aside for the strike authorization vote. Be assured you will have the opportunity to vote on contract issues at another time.

Contract talks with LAUSD are in mediation. Boycotts of afterschool meetings and periodic assessments remain in force until further notice.

BACKGROUND
Tentative agreement reached with LAUSD preserves our benefits.

On February 10, UTLA and the seven other LAUSD unions reached a tentative agreement last night with LAUSD on health care for 2009, 2010, and 2011.

- A Closer Look at our Health Care Victory
  (The district's demands vs what we won)
- Joint statement by eight LAUSD unions

The unions successfully fought off all the cuts and take-backs that LAUSD had demanded. 

Increased funding: The District will fully fund our current health benefits plan for 2009 and will also fund increases in 2010 and 2011.

Health care options preserved: LAUSD had pressed hard for an agreement that would have only fully paid for Kaiser and Health Net, forcing Blue Cross/Anthem POS members to pay $187 a month to keep their doctors. That will NOT happen under this agreement, which keeps all current options in place.

Three-year deal stabilizes benefits: The agreement fully funds benefits for 2009 and calls for increased funding from LAUSD for the next two years ($963 million for 2010 and $996 million for 2011). This means no LAUSD-forced cuts to coverage and no protracted battle over benefits every year for the next three years.

Health Benefits Committee has increased control: The union-led Health Benefits Committee, which has been key to cutting costs and securing fully funded benefits year after year, will have expanded control over plan design, meaning that we decide what modifications to make-not LAUSD.

Continued lifetime benefits: The agreement will not eliminate lifetime benefits for new employees. The unions agreed to some modifications in the number of years future hires must work to achieve lifetime benefits, but the key is that future employees are guaranteed a chance to earn that valued coverage.