10% salary hike is part of deal between L.A. Unified, teachers union.

The L.A. Unified School District and the teachers union reached a tentative contract settlement late Friday night for a three-year deal that includes a 10% salary increase over two years. There also are terms affecting class sizes, the number of counselors and teacher evaluations.

The pact still must be ratified by both the Board of Education and the members of United Teachers Los Angeles, but the apparent breakthrough has stemmed talk of a possible strike.

“This contract was the right agreement for the district and the right agreement for the union to deal with a lot of issues that haven’t been dealt with for a long time, including learning conditions and teaching conditions, as well as salary,” said union President Alex Caputo-Pearl.

Three of the seven school board members, including Steve Zimmer, quickly signaled their support.

“This is an important step in restoring trust and partnership between LAUSD and UTLA,” said Zimmer. “Our message to our teachers is simple: We believe in you. I look forward to the stability and renewed collaboration this agreement will bring.”

The union and former Supt. John Deasy had developed an acrimonious relationship, which was not altered when Caputo-Pearl replaced Warren Fletcher as union president last year.

Deasy resigned under pressure, however, in October in the wake of fallout over a now-abandoned iPads-for-all project and a faulty student records system, The district’s negotiating position changed little in the short term, but current Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said he wanted to set a different tone.

The union continued to press its position with rallies and work actions. A declaration of impasse triggered mediation sessions. Some district insiders worried that Cortines was willing to bend too much to achieve labor peace.

Then, earlier last week, the Board of Education voted 6 to 1 to approve a multibillion-dollar plan for districtwide health benefits that preserves the district’s full benefits package.

It factored in small annual increases in expenses but still could strain the budget in future years, possibly contributing to layoffs or cutbacks in services, officials said.

Long-term concerns could magnify with the proposed settlement.

“I look forward to finding out how we plan to pay for it,” said board member Monica Ratliff, who voted against the benefits package.

Caputo-Pearl said the agreement limits how large classes can get and also how many students can be assigned to a counselor.

The theme of a setting up a process with the district to resolve problems appears repeatedly. There also will be a health services task force and regular meetings on the treatment of teachers under investigation for alleged misconduct.

The two sides also will meet to develop a new teacher evaluation and support program by fall 2016. In the meantime, the district agreed to streamline the current process.

The union made one notable concession from an earlier position. It accepted three possible final ratings for teachers: exceeds standards, meets standards or below standard.

The union had wanted to keep the practice of using two possible ratings. Accepting the district’s alternative could result in the district retaining control over millions of dollars in federal aid tied to evaluation standards.

Three board members are running for reelection May 19. Among them, board President Richard Vladovic had no immediate comment but is widely expected to support the deal. The other two, Bennett Kayser and Tamar Galatzan, endorsed the agreement.

The deal has political implications, because the board’s direction could shift pending the outcome of balloting.

Also, the union can now devote more attention and money to the campaign, with less worry about setting aside resources for a strike.

The union’s targets include Galatzan, but she’s given teachers less immediate motivation to oppose her, with her backing of both the benefits agreement and the pact with teachers.