Los Angeles Schools Reopen After Last-Minute Labor Deal

Mayor Bass helped broker agreement between LAUSD and key unions to avoid planned work stoppage.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 6:53pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An abstract, impressionistic scene of students moving through a school hallway, with soft, hazy light creating a sense of motion and energy.The negotiated labor deals will allow Los Angeles schools to continue operating without disruption, providing stability for students and families.Los Angeles Today

Los Angeles Unified School District campuses remained open on Tuesday after a last-minute deal was struck between district negotiators and SEIU Local 99, a union representing about 30,000 aides, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers. Mayor Karen Bass stepped in to help reach a compromise during a "long night" of negotiations, avoiding what would have been a massive disruption for hundreds of thousands of students and their families.

Why it matters

The tentative agreements reached between LAUSD and its major labor unions, including teachers and school administrators, ensure that schools can continue operating without disruption and that employees will receive significant pay raises to address the high cost of living in Los Angeles.

The details

The deals include a 24% wage increase for SEIU Local 99 members as well as pay raises for teachers and administrators. Union leaders emphasized the importance of achieving livable wages and robust staffing to provide the highest quality of education for students in the nation's second-largest school district.

  • The tentative agreements were reached in the early morning hours on Tuesday, just before the planned work stoppage.
  • Over the weekend, unions for teachers (UTLA) and school administrators (AALA) also reached tentative agreements with the district.

The players

Karen Bass

The Mayor of Los Angeles who stepped in to help broker the deal between LAUSD and the labor unions.

SEIU Local 99

A union representing about 30,000 aides, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers in the LAUSD.

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)

The union representing teachers in the LAUSD.

Associated Administrators Los Angeles (AALA)

The union representing school administrators in the LAUSD.

Max Arias

The Executive Director of SEIU Local 99.

Cecily Myart-Cruz

The President of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I stepped into negotiations to make sure that every effort was made to find an agreement to reach a compromise. Because a strike would disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids and their parents who need childcare, who need to go to school and need to go to work.”

— Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles

“Partnership means equal respect. We're hopeful we can start working towards not having workers live in poverty and making sure that we have robust staffing to be able to take care of all students.”

— Max Arias, Executive Director, SEIU Local 99

“Teachers will now earn salaries that better reflect the true cost of living in communities that they serve. This victory ensures that educators can afford to stay in their neighborhoods and live closer to their jobs.”

— Cecily Myart-Cruz, President, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)

What’s next

The tentative agreements still need to be ratified by the respective union memberships before they are finalized.

The takeaway

The successful negotiations between LAUSD and its major labor unions, facilitated by Mayor Bass, demonstrate the importance of collaborative problem-solving to ensure schools can continue operating without disruption and provide fair compensation for essential education workers in high-cost urban areas.