LAUSD's teacher and staff unions will strike if no deal is reached by mid-April

The unions representing Los Angeles Unified teachers and support staff have given the district a "red line" of April 14 to reach a deal for new contracts or face an open-ended strike.

The walkout was announced at a rally Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles that brought together thousands of members of United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, an increasingly active union that represents principals and other education leaders.

“We have a common vision, and we're in it together,” said Maria Nichols, president of AALA. “We’re understaffed. We're overworked. We don't have the necessary resources to really say we have safe schools and to really say that we're servicing students.”

All three unions have been negotiating with the district over pay, benefits and additional support for students for more than a year.

In response to the rally, LAUSD issued a statement and plans to host a news conference Thursday morning.

“Los Angeles Unified is actively engaged in negotiations with our labor partners and remains committed to reaching agreements that balance the needs of students, families and staff while ensuring long-term fiscal stability,” the statement read.

What happens now?

A strike almost certainly would shutter schools for about 400,000 students, as was the case during a three-day work stoppage in 2023.

Emily Reyes, a fifth-grade teacher at Laurel Cinematic Arts near West Hollywood, said she hopes families understand why a strike may be necessary.

“A strike this year ensures that your children are going to get all the resources that they need in the classroom, that they're given the best teaching resources,” she said.

The unions are seeking increases in pay for their members. The district has said it cannot afford what the unions have proposed.

The unions are still working their way through the bargaining process but have said the district's offers do not meet their demands. UTLA appealed to LAUSD’s board ahead of a committee meeting Tuesday.

“We can settle this contract before we have to go on strike if you all are active in that process,” Julie Van Winkle, UTLA's vice president said. “But if that doesn’t happen then we’re still ready to go because we need to be able to afford to live in our cities and we need our schools to have basic resources.”

Danny Martinez teaches art at Mendez High School in Boyle Heights. He’s witnessed multiple strikes over his 20 years in the district.

“They were tough but worthwhile,” Martinez said. “We did get a certain raise and stuff, but you know what, how the economy is right now, everything goes up, but our pay doesn't.”

What is the district’s position?

On Thursday morning, district leaders, including acting Superintendent Andres Chait, said LAUSD will continue to negotiate with the unions in hopes of reaching a deal that would avert school shutdowns.

“ We have a responsibility to our community to provide a quality education to our students and to make sure our employees are compensated fairly and equitably,” Chait said. “But we also have a responsibility to be careful stewards of the financial resources that our taxpayers entrust to us.”

Financial presentations to the board over the last year have highlighted the district's ongoing budget deficit and diminishing reserves. This month, layoff notices were sent to more than 650 LAUSD employees, including hundreds of support staff.

Another dynamic in play: The board appointed Chait acting superintendent in late February after the FBI searched Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home and office. Carvalho is currently on administrative leave. Chait said the “active investigation” into Carvalho does not alter the district’s goal of avoiding a strike.

Chait said the district started planning for the possibility of a strike months ago and has reached out to external organizations that could provide childcare and food for families if schools close.

How did we get here?

Earlier this year, members of United Teachers Los Angeles and SEIU Local 99 voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the power to call a strike as negotiations over pay and benefits stalled.

UTLA’s bargaining team has 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 triggers intervention from a neutral mediator appointed by the state’s labor relations board. That stage of the process, “fact finding,” ended this month without resolution.

The teachers union seeks 17% raises for educators over two years and changes to the salary schedule so that newer teachers who complete professional development can earn increases more quickly.

The district has countered with an 8% salary increase and 3% one-time bonus over two years. Here are the other details of the district’s proposal.

SEIU’s contract, meanwhile, expired in June 2024. That union wants 30% wage increases over three years and more hours for workers who don’t have enough to qualify for benefits.

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.”

The district has countered with a 13% wage increase over three years. Here are other details of the district’s proposal.

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles declared an impasse in February, an assessment the district disagreed with, but it agreed to continue negotiating and has another meeting scheduled Friday.

The union’s primary demands include salary increases, a reduced workload and the ability to use flex time more easily.

“Our intent is not to disrupt schools and students and families,” Nichols said. “Our intent is to get a fair and equitable contract [and] dignity and respect for the folks.”