LAUSD Reaches Tentative Agreement With Teachers Union

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) narrowly averted a massive strike on April 14, 2026, after reaching a last-minute agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99. The deal prevents tens of thousands of school workers from walking off the job and keeps the nation’s second-largest school system open.

SEIU Local 99 represents a critical segment of the district’s workforce, including food workers, custodians, bus drivers, and special education assistants. Had the negotiations failed, these workers were scheduled to begin a strike on April 14, which would have likely shuttered schools across the region.

Sequence of Labor Agreements

The resolution with Local 99 follows a series of tentative agreements reached on Sunday, April 13, 2026, with two other major unions. These earlier deals paved the way for the final resolution and reduced the immediate likelihood of a total system shutdown.

The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) reached a tentative two-year agreement with the district on April 13. This contract increases salary scales for its members, which include teachers, school psychologists, nurses, librarians, and school social workers.

Simultaneously, the district reached a tentative agreement with the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) and Teamsters 2010. This deal provides a salary increase of 11.65% over two years and includes a reopener in the third year of the agreement to bargain for additional raises.

Pressure and Sympathy Strikes

The negotiations with SEIU Local 99 were particularly high-stakes because of the solidarity pledged by other district employees. Both the UTLA and the administrators’ union had indicated they would honor Local 99 picket lines by participating in sympathy strikes if a deal was not reached by April 14.

This potential for a coordinated walkout by teachers, administrators, and support staff created significant pressure on the district to finalize terms. Negotiations extended past midnight into April 14 before a final agreement in principle was achieved.

District and Union Perspectives

District officials expressed a consistent intent to maintain school operations throughout the negotiation process. LAUSD stated that meetings with SEIU Local 99 were conducted with the specific goal of reaching an agreement that would allow schools to remain open on April 14.

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Members of the bargaining teams expressed relief following the Sunday agreements. Armaghan Khan, a science teacher and member of the UTLA bargaining team, noted that It’s been a long road to get here, so I feel pretty good about today.

The labor disputes highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the funding of education in Los Angeles. Cornell Blum, a parent within the district, stated that Education is not getting as much money as it deserves in L.A. And across the nation, while supporting the need for teachers to receive necessary resources and pay.

Current Status of the Workforce

With the agreement in principle reached with Local 99, the immediate threat of a strike has been removed. The district now holds tentative agreements with the three primary unions involved in the dispute:

• United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)
• Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA)/Teamsters 2010
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99

These agreements ensure that the essential services provided by custodians, food service workers, and drivers, as well as the instructional services provided by teachers and administrators, continue without interruption.