6% Pay Raise should kick in April 5

6% pay raise should kick in April 5

Payroll system switch delays retro checks.

Pending approval of the contract agreement by the LAUSD School Board on March 29,
the 6% salary raise should appear in paychecks on April 5, according to the LAUSD.

The raise is retroactive to July 1, 2006. Unfortunately, because of the new payroll
system, the retroactive pay will be divided into two checks: one for July through
December 2006 (under the old system) and one for January through March 2007
(under the new system). The information below comes from the District and may be
subject to change.

The good news: The April 5 paycheck should contain the 6% ongoing raise and a
partial payment for the retroactive amount (for January through March 2007). UTLA
continues to press the District to add the hourly wage and location codes to the paycheck
so employees can tell if they’re being paid the correct salary. We have no confirmation
as of now if this will be fixed on the April 5 check, but the check should at
minimum have a separate notation to indicate which portion of the check is for
retroactive pay.

The bad news: The rest of the retroactive amount (for July through December 2006)
will come in a separate check. It is unknown at this time when that check will be
issued; some sources say mid-May or even June, but UTLA is pushing for payment as
soon as accurate checks can be issued.

UTLA stays on the case: UTLA is seriously concerned about how the ongoing payroll
fiasco will affect the pay raise and payment of the retroactive amount. Severe payroll
problems have persisted for two months, and UTLA predicts that unfortunately
problems will continue with the April 5 paychecks. On April 6, the UTLA office is scheduled
to be closed for Good Friday but because it is the day after payday, UTLA will have
staff on hand at union headquarters to assist by phone with paycheck issues and to
create logs of all problems. We are using every tool at our disposal—legal, legislative,
and member action—to force the District to fix the new payroll system. We are continuing
with our court case and grievances against the District as well as pushing for an
investigation into how the payroll company was selected and how much money has
gone to consultants.

Payroll protest at the School Board March 29:
You can do your part to fix the
payroll problems by joining the protest at the School Board on Thursday, March 29,
from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Look for details at www.utla.net.