LAUSD Secures Agreements with Three Unions to Prevent District-Wide Strike
LAUSD Reaches Tentative Agreements with Unions, Averting Strike
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with SEIU Local 99, preventing a strike that could have disrupted education for approximately 400,000 students. The announcement came shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, just hours before a crucial deadline.
This agreement concludes months of escalating tensions in the nation’s second-largest school district. The deal, which encompasses bus drivers, cafeteria staff, custodians, and special education assistants, includes a significant 24% wage increase along with enhanced healthcare benefits for around 30,000 essential employees who have voiced concerns over the high cost of living in Los Angeles.
Additionally, the district has committed to rescinding layoffs of hundreds of IT technicians and ensuring that jobs will not be subcontracted to outside vendors. These developments follow successful negotiations held on Sunday with the teachers’ union (UTLA) and administrators (AALA), effectively neutralizing a coordinated strike that could have involved nearly 70,000 employees.
“Schools will remain open, ensuring that students continue to receive education and meals,” stated Acting Superintendent Andrés Chait, confirming the successful resolutions with major labor partners within the district. Under the separate agreement with UTLA, starting teacher salaries will rise from $68,966 to $77,000.
In a statement, LAUSD expressed satisfaction with the agreement, emphasizing its impact on maintaining school operations. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who played a role in facilitating the negotiations, highlighted the importance of educational staff. "Our schools’ teachers, instructional aides, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, and other dedicated workers care for our children every day, and they deserve a fair contract," she said.
Meanwhile, SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias commended the workers for their courage, noting that a strike remained a last resort in their efforts to improve living conditions amid rising living costs.
Despite the successful negotiations, the agreements are not yet finalized, as union members from SEIU Local 99, UTLA, and AALA must still vote to ratify their respective contracts. The district and union teams will continue to collaborate on finalizing the written agreement details, allowing schools to operate smoothly for the district’s student population.
