LAUSD Strike Looms As Unions Push For Fair Wages

As the clock ticks down to April 14, 2026, families across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are grappling with uncertainty over whether schools will remain open. A potential strike hangs as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99, representing approximately 30,000 support staff, has yet to reach a tentative agreement with the district, even as two other unions have secured deals.

On April 12, the LAUSD announced it had reached agreements with the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and the Associated Administrators Los Angeles (AALA), which represent teachers and school administrators, respectively. The tentative contracts include salary increases—11.65% over two years for AALA and an average increase of 13.86% for UTLA members, raising starting teacher salaries to $77,000 per year. Yet, these agreements do not suffice to avert a strike, as all three unions have pledged to walk out together if any one of them fails to finalize a deal.

By Monday afternoon, April 13, SEIU Local 99 was still negotiating, with union leaders expressing frustration over the district's offer of a 13% wage increase over three years, which they deemed insufficient. The union has been advocating for a 30% raise, citing the need for livable wages for its members, many of whom earn an average salary of $35,000—below the poverty line for a family of four.

“It is shameful that the workers who teach and nurture the children in our schools are paid poverty wages,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99. “The district’s reliance on poverty-wage, part-time jobs is leading to serious staffing shortages that impact student services.” The union's demands also include increased staffing for mental health supports and special education, as well as an end to the subcontracting of jobs.

Families are feeling the pressure as they prepare for a possible disruption in their daily routines. Tania Rivera, a mother of two children with disabilities, expressed her anxiety about the situation. “We support the teachers, and we have similar concerns. We need more aides at school. But the impact for our kids is big,” she said. Rivera, who lives in South Gate, worries about how her children, who both require special education support, will cope with the uncertainty of a strike.

As the negotiations continued late into the night on April 13, LAUSD officials assured families they would be informed by 6 a.m. on April 14 whether schools would remain open. The district has prepared resources for families in the event of a strike, including instructional materials available online, food distribution sites, and child supervision services for children ages 5 to 17. Unfortunately, children with moderate to severe disabilities and those under the age of four cannot be accommodated.

“We are still actively in mediations with the district and continuing to push for the respect and resources our members deserve,” SEIU Local 99 said in a statement. If an agreement is not reached, the union plans to strike starting on April 14. This would be the first time all three unions have walked out simultaneously, significantly affecting the education of over 400,000 students across the district.

Meanwhile, students are voicing their support for the unions. On Monday, several teenagers rallied outside the LAUSD headquarters, advocating for their teachers and support staff. Jaime Alvarez, an 11th-grader at Thomas Jefferson High School, said, “The district is spending money in the wrong places, including AI. We want to see that money go to our teachers and programs that benefit students.”

The atmosphere is charged with anticipation, as many students are prepared to join picket lines if the strike goes ahead. “I want students to know that the unions are fighting for the unions and for the improvement of the students,” said Gary Fraigun, a special education teacher and UTLA chapter chair.

In addition to the immediate concerns about educational disruptions, parents are also worried about their children's access to meals. LAUSD serves approximately 530,000 meals daily to its roughly 400,000 students, with many depending on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. If schools close, the district will provide grab-and-go meal options at select locations, but parents are anxious about the implications for their children’s daily food intake.

“Those who are most affected are our children,” said one mother of two teenage students who wished to remain anonymous due to her immigration status. She expressed frustration over the negotiations, noting that the strike threat feels unfair as it directly impacts her children’s education.

As the situation develops, community groups are rallying to support the workers and families. A coalition of organizations, including the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, has urged LAUSD to settle a contract with SEIU Local 99. “It takes more than teachers to shape a student's education. Counselors, nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers—these are the people who make our schools run,” said Daniel Sierra, a senior at Roybal Learning Center.

As families await news, the stakes are high. With LAUSD being the second-largest school district in the nation, the ramifications of a strike could ripple through the community, affecting not just students but also parents and local businesses. The district has approximately $5 billion in reserves, leading many to question why the budget cannot accommodate the demands of its support staff.

The outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain, but the urgency of the situation is clear. If an agreement is not reached by the morning of April 14, LAUSD will face a historic strike that could disrupt education for hundreds of thousands of students. Families and educators alike are hopeful that a resolution can be achieved, allowing schools to remain open and services to continue uninterrupted.

As the sun rises on April 14, LAUSD, waiting for the announcement that could change the course of education in Los Angeles.