IBT - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

12/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/18/2024 10:38

Three Thousand Los Angeles Unified School District Administrators Join Teamsters

Workers at Second Largest School District in U.S. Vote to Join Teamsters Local 2010

Press Contact: Aimee Baror Phone: (213) 220-0538 Email: [email protected]

(LOS ANGELES) - Members of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) have voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with Teamsters Local 2010. The 3,000 members work as principals, assistant principals, adult school and ROP/ROC center coordinators, early education center principals, classified managers, and school support administrators for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

"This affiliation furthers our mission to build Local 2010 into a powerhouse for workers' rights and fair wages in California education," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 2010. "Joining forces with the 3,000 hardworking school administrators of AALA makes Local 2010 stronger and it makes our new sisters and brothers stronger too. By overwhelmingly voting to join the Teamsters, AALA recognizes that being part of North America's strongest union will help build the power needed to win fair contracts, respect on the job, and a reasonable workload at LAUSD. Local 2010 is proud to be one of the fastest growing and most effective unions in the nation!"

Maria Nichols, President of AALA, committed to her membership when she took office in June 2024 that she would not only determine the root causes of their increased workloads and extended working hours, but she would find solutions. With contract negotiations slated to kick off in January 2025 with LAUSD, Nichols thought the most effective solution would be to increase the power of the organization through affiliation with the Teamsters.

"Students cannot make significant gains when school leaders are pummeled with time sensitive tasks that are taking time away from achieving our instructional goals," Nichols said. "We cannot blame any administrator for wanting change when having to work after hours or on weekends goes uncompensated. We are excited about becoming Teamsters because we now have leverage, power, knowledge, and a partner with a proven track record in getting the results we need."

"The time has come to ensure the district negotiates with us in good faith and proves that 'investing in staff' resonates true. And in the spirit of equity, collaboration, and excellence, we hope that they value us and our innumerable contributions to the second-largest district in the nation," said Julio Melara, an assistant principal for the LAUSD.

Teamsters Local 2010 is an affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 23,000 workers in California higher education, including clerical, administrative, and skilled trades workers throughout the University of California and California State University systems. For more information, visit teamsters2010.org.