Long Beach Teachers Union Demands Higher Pay Amid $46M Deficit, $100M Projected Shortfall

Contract negotiations in Long Beach Unified School District have been stalled for weeks, and the end is not in sight yet.

The contract between the school district and the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB) expired in June. Union representatives and the district reached a tentative agreement that month, but in a development described as “unprecedented” by the union, teachers voted against it (with 61% opposed) for not containing pay raises.

The union put together a new bargaining team to proceed with contract negotiations. The team met last week, but it is unclear when a new tentative agreement might be reached.

The Long Beach Post reports that since 2008, teachers in Long Beach Unified have won regular pay raises. But amidst a $46 million deficit for 2024-25, which may grow to $100 million this year according to the Post, the school district would be hard-pressed to fit additional pay raises into the budget.

Data from Transparent California reveals that last year, average total pay and benefits in the district was $170,673 for elementary teachers, and $165,004 for secondary teachers. Long Beach Unified’s five top administrators made a combined $2 million in total pay and benefits, while the five highest-paid administrative assistants made between $217,000 and $229,500 each.

California Policy Center will continue to monitor the negotiations for updates. To look up teacher salaries at particular schools in Long Beach Unified School District, visit transparentcalifornia.com.