This week's LAUSD strike could close schools indefinitely. Here's what to know

Los Angeles Unified teachers, support staff and principals are one day away from a strike that would shut down schools starting Tuesday, April 14.

The unions, who represent about 68,000 employees collectively, say the walkout is a last resort after more than a year of negotiations over pay, benefits and school conditions. The strike would mark the first time three of the district’s most powerful unions— United Teachers Los Angeles, Service Employees International Union Local 99 and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles — collaborate on a strike.

On Sunday, LAUSD announced it had reached deals with UTLA and AALA. But a collective strike remains possible without a deal with SEIU Local 99.

LAUSD is the country’s second largest school district and provides meals, child care and education for about 400,000 students daily.

The district said in a statement posted Monday at 5 p.m. that it continues to meet with SEIU Local 99 “and remains committed to reaching an agreement that supports our students, employees, and school communities.”

This is a guide to some of the most pressing questions related to the strike. Have others? Email me: mdale@laist.com.

Will my child’s school be open?

No.

LAUSD has said that all district schools and early education centers will close if teachers, support staff and principals walk out.

The striking unions represent the majority of the district’s 83,000 employees.

SEIU Local 99 has said a strike would be open ended.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that the strike would also shut down the district’s spring sports program because bus drivers won’t be available to provide transportation.

What resources are available for families?

The district has posted plans to distribute food, digital learning resources and options for tech support on a dedicated website.

There is also a list of community organizations offering child care. They include

• The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles 
• El Nido Family Centers

Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro LA will be open for full-day programming — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. — in response to school closures, said Kimberly Washington, vice president of philanthropy and marketing.

Sites opening for full-day support include:

• Watts/Willowbrook
• Challengers Club (South L.A.)
• Venice Club

Boyle Heights Beat has also assembled a list of resources for families on the eastside of L.A.

How do parents feel?

Parents and caregivers representing more than a half-dozen community organizing and advocacy groups held a press conference Thursday morning to express their support for the strike and urge the district to reach a deal with the unions.

“When they advocate for better pay, staffing and resources, they are advocating for our children's future,” said Esmeralda Rangel, whose younger siblings attend LAUSD schools. “When educators and staff are supported, our schools are stronger and our classrooms are better.”

The Facebook group Parents Supporting Teachers started in the run-up to the 2019 UTLA strike and now has more than 30,000 members.

Carmel Levitan is a group moderator, and the parent of LAUSD students in Eagle Rock. She said there have been a lot of questions about whether there will be remote learning, food or child care available during the strike.

“I do think there's a lot of anxiety,” Levitan said. “So we all just take a few days off work? Can we afford that? Do our jobs allow that? And so I do think the uncertainty is stressful and really harming a lot of families.”

Other parents said their children would join their teachers on the picket line.

Elizabeth Hernandez plans to open her home, which is near a South L.A. middle school, to striking teachers and provide snacks and bathroom access.

“It's important for us as parents to support our teachers because at the end of the day, they are the ones that spend most of the days with our kids,” Hernandez said.

How can I share my family's experiences and concerns?

We have a survey you can fill out here:

What would it take to reach a deal? 

United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles have been negotiating with the district over pay, benefits and additional support for students for more than a year.

Here’s a summary of the current status of negotiations with each union:

United Teachers Los Angeles

35,000 members include: teachers, psychologists and counselors

Contract expired: June 30, 2025

Deal reached: Sunday, April 12, 2026

UTLA’s bargaining team met with the district more than a dozen times since negotiations began last February. The union declared an impasse in December, a legal step that triggered a “fact finding” intervention from a neutral mediator appointed by the state’s labor relations board.

The union’s proposals included: 

• A 17% raise over two years. 
• A minimum starting teacher salary of nearly $78,000 — a 13% increase. 
• Changes to the salary schedule so that newer teachers who complete professional development can earn increases more quickly.
• Reducing class sizes and adding more mental health support for students. 
• Learn more. 

The final deal includes: 

• An increase in salary scales by 11.65%. UTLA says the average member will see an average increase of nearly 14%
• A new-teacher salary of $77,000 per year
• Four weeks of district-paid parental leave
• Expanded student mental health supports
• A first-ever 20:1 ratio for special education specialist teachers

How much does the deal cost?

A district spokesperson said Sunday that the UTLA deal will cost $650 million per year.

Whether or not the district could afford the union’s proposal was a matter of debate even for the fact-finding chair, Donald Raczka.

“Due to the complexity of LAUSD’s budget, thoroughly examining these claims would be time-consuming and labor-intensive—tasks that go beyond the Chair’s current capacity given the available information,” Raczka wrote.

The union contended that such an analysis was the fact finder’s key responsibility.

“The failure of the Fact Finder to even attempt to figure out the finances is a disservice to the

educators and students of LAUSD and to the fact-finding process itself,” wrote Brian McNamara, a UTLA director and fact finding panelist in a lengthy dissent.

In a statement, the district said it “appreciates the report’s balanced, fiscally responsible framework.”

SEIU Local 99

30,000 members include: bus drivers, cafeteria workers, classroom and campus aides

Contract expired: June 30, 2024

Most recent meeting with LAUSD: Monday, April 13, 2025

The union’s proposals include: 

• A 30% wage increase over three years. 
• More hours for workers who don’t have enough to qualify for benefits.

LAUSD’s most recent public offer includes: 

•  A 13% wage increase over three years.
• A task force to advise the district on Artificial Intelligence use that includes SEIU Local 99 members.
• Read more.

SEIU Local 99 also declared an impasse in December, but is at a different stage in the bargaining process than UTLA.

The state has appointed a mediator to try and help the two sides meet an agreement.

The basis for SEIU’s strike vote is what the union says are more than a dozen unfair practice charges where members have been disciplined or lost hours as a result of participating in union activities.

SEIU Local 99 reports its members make an average of $35,000 a year.

Maria Avalos is a supervision aide at Fernangeles Elementary School in Sun Valley. Avalos said she’s only assigned four hours of work a day and also cleans houses and sells tamales to support her daughter.

“We need more hours,” Avalos said. “I live in an apartment that has one bedroom for 10 of us.”

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA)

3,000 members include: principals, directors and other administrators

Contract expired: June 30, 2025

Deal reached: Sunday, April 12, 2026

The union’s proposals included: 

• A 12.5% wage increase.
• The ability to use flex time more easily.

The final deal includes:

• A 12.15% wage increase
• A defined 8-hour workday and a “reasonable” 40-hour workweek 
• Flex time with notice and no pre-approval
• Read more.

AALA announced its members would join the April 14 walkout — a first for the union, which affiliated with the Teamsters in 2024.

 “We stand strong, we stand tall, we stand with dignity, and we demand the respect that we deserve as professionals that carry this district each and every day,” said Maria Nichols, president of AALA, during a virtual meeting with union members Monday.