LAUSD Avoids Strike After Last-Minute Deal with Staff

Unions representing teachers, principals and support staff reach tentative agreements with nation's second-largest school district.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:40pm

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A bold, abstract silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating grid of brightly colored textbooks in neon pink, electric blue, and highlighter yellow, conceptually representing the high-stakes negotiations that kept Los Angeles schools open.The colorful, pop art-inspired illustration captures the energy and importance of the last-minute deal that kept Los Angeles schools open and students learning.Los Angeles Today

Los Angeles schools avoided a strike that would have impacted nearly 400,000 students as the school district and the union representing support staff, SEIU Local 99, reached a tentative deal early Tuesday. The deal includes raises, more hours, protections against subcontracting, and increased staffing.

Why it matters

A strike would have severely disrupted education for hundreds of thousands of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation. The last-minute agreements between the district and its three major unions representing teachers, principals, and support staff demonstrate the complex labor dynamics in public education and the high stakes involved.

The details

SEIU Local 99 announced on social media that it won a tentative agreement with "major gains" including raises and more hours. The district said an agreement in principle had been reached, allowing schools to open on Tuesday as they finalized the details. The tentative deal also included protections against subcontracting, stopped IT layoffs, and increased staffing. All three unions, representing about 70,000 workers, had pledged to go on strike if any of the three did not reach a tentative agreement.

  • The tentative deal was reached early Tuesday morning, April 14, 2026.
  • In 2023, Local 99 workers went on strike and teachers joined them for three days, with about 150 of the district's 1,000 schools remaining open.

The players

SEIU Local 99

The union representing support staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which reached a tentative agreement with the district to avoid a strike.

Los Angeles Unified School District

The nation's second-largest school district, which reached tentative agreements with its three major unions representing teachers, principals, and support staff to avoid a strike.

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What they’re saying

“We won a tentative agreement with major gains including raises and more hours.”

— SEIU Local 99

“The victory belongs to ALL of us.”

— SEIU Local 99

What’s next

The district and unions will work to finalize the details of the tentative agreements.

The takeaway

The last-minute deals between the LAUSD and its three major unions demonstrate the high stakes and complex labor dynamics in public education, as a strike would have severely disrupted learning for hundreds of thousands of students. The agreements highlight the importance of collaborative negotiations to avoid service disruptions and ensure students can continue their education.