LAUSD Unions Threaten Triple Strike as Negotiations Continue

Three major unions representing 70,000 district employees plan to walk out on Tuesday if deals are not reached over the weekend.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:07pm

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Labor union negotiations are scheduled over the weekend as efforts continue to prevent a Tuesday strike that would shut down all schools operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The district has settled with five smaller employee unions, but three major contracts remain, covering about 70,000 of the district's 83,300 employees. These unions - United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Local 99 of Service Employees International Union, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) - are planning a coordinated 'triple strike' if agreements are not reached.

Why it matters

A strike by these three major unions would effectively close down the entire LAUSD school system, impacting hundreds of thousands of students and families. The negotiations involve key issues like teacher salaries, benefits for lower-wage support staff, and workload for administrators - all of which have significant implications for the district's ability to retain and support its workforce.

The details

The unions are seeking significant pay increases to offset high inflation, with UTLA pushing for an average 17% raise and Local 99 seeking improved wages and stable work schedules for its lower-paid members. The district has offered a mix of one-time bonuses and permanent raises, but the unions say the proposals do not go far enough. Negotiations have continued late into the night, with the parties set to resume talks on Saturday morning.

  • The current contracts for the three unions expired on June 30, 2024.
  • Negotiations have been ongoing for nearly two years, with the latest marathon session taking place on Wednesday from 8am to 10pm.
  • The unions have announced plans to strike on Tuesday, April 16, 2026 if deals are not reached over the weekend.

The players

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)

The union representing about 37,000 teachers, nurses, counselors, psychologists and librarians in the LAUSD system.

Local 99 of Service Employees International Union

The union representing about 30,000 teacher aides, campus aides, gardeners, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and tech support staff in the LAUSD system.

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA)

The union representing about 3,000 principals, assistant principals, and other middle managers in the LAUSD system.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

The public school district serving the city of Los Angeles and surrounding communities, with over 83,000 employees.

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What’s next

Negotiations are scheduled to continue over the weekend, with the unions and district officials meeting again on Saturday morning. If no deals are reached by Tuesday, April 16th, the three unions have vowed to coordinate a 'triple strike' that would effectively shut down the entire LAUSD school system.

The takeaway

This looming LAUSD strike highlights the ongoing tensions between the district, its teachers and support staff over issues of fair compensation, workload, and the ability to retain quality educators and staff in the face of high inflation and the rising cost of living in the Los Angeles area. The outcome of these negotiations could have significant ripple effects on the education of hundreds of thousands of students.