After an elongated negotiation period between Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) officials and Union SEIU Local 99, district employees have received many of their asked-for provisions, including pay raises and extended working hours.
Local 99, which represents many of the district’s employees, has reached a tentative contract agreement with SMMUSD that secured union members an 18% wage increase through the 2025-26 school year. The agreement included a 5% wage increase plus retroactive pay to January, a 3% wage increase effective July 1, and two-step adjustment wage increases of 5% during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
Other provisions in the tentative agreement are a $1,000 bonus for all members upon agreement ratification, increased bases for positions like Security Officers and Food & Nutrition Service workers, and improved health care benefits for part-time workers. Voting to ratify the contract amongst Local 99 members will take place between Monday and Wednesday.
“We extend our gratitude to our bargaining team (SMMUSD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mark Kelly) and the district’s team for their tireless efforts and dedication in reaching this agreement for our members,” said SEIU Local 99 Chief Steward Chris Mock at the May 2 SMMUSD Board of Education meeting. “Most importantly, we want to thank our SEIU Local 99 members for their unwavering support, patience and presence in board meetings and various sites. Together, we stand united, strong and as one.”
Another highlight of the deal, Mock noted, was an agreement to extend work calendars for Paraeducators, Health Office Specialists and Food & Nutrition Workers from working just the school year to a 10-month schedule, which Mock said allows for “much needed time for training and other professional development opportunities.”
The Paraeducator position also played a role in the future of district Physical Activity Specialist (PAS) staff members at elementary sites. SMMUSD board passed a resolution in February to reduce PAS positions by 6.75 full-time equivalent positions, equal to nine employees.
After this reduction, Local 99 engaged with each of the impacted employees individually, with Mock announcing at the May 2 meeting that these employees have either accepted district positions as Paraeducators or plan to enter credentialing programs to return as teacher trainees at school sites.
A federal program monitoring report from the California Department of Education in September 2023 stated that the district was non-compliant as far as PAS employees not possessing requisite teaching credentials or specific physical education training. In a board discussion about the PAS reduction in February, Dr. Kelly stated that the impacted employees could credentialing programs through the Los Angeles County Office of Education or a class at a local college, with a credential able to be obtained through having a Bachelor’s Degree plus a fifth year of study in a credentialing program. The Paraeducator position, namely Paraeducator-3, was also mentioned by Kelly as a potential role since the position is in the same pay range as a PAS.
Mock also stated that Local 99 has been collaborating with SMMUSD Executive Director of Elementary Schools, Dr. Steven Richardson, in planning new elementary school physical education programs, which includes input from PAS staff to develop schedules. The program, Mock added, contains the possibility for new PAS openings which was “exciting” for the Local 99 official.
During his board meeting report, SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton said the district is moving forward in the school year “in a way people feel valued,” and thanked Dr. Kelly as well as Assistant Superintendent of Business and Fiscal Services Melody Canady for their work in achieving the tentative agreement.
“Having this leadership in place and working with and through the support and guidance of our school board, this was made possible,” Shelton said.