Los Angeles Unified’s two largest labor groups—the teachers union and service employees—announced Wednesday that they will join forces and both go on strike on April 14 if no contract deal is reached before then. Such actions would effectively shut down schools in less than a month.
The strike would affect close to 400,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school system and an estimated 32,000 students in the adult school. More than 60,000 essential district workers—including teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, janitors, and cafeteria workers—would walk off the job, crippling school operations.
This strike would come at a particularly difficult time for the district. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is currently on paid administrative leave following an FBI raid on his San Pedro home and downtown L.A. office. Additionally, hundreds of layoffs are anticipated amid what Carvalho previously described as a troubled budget at its “breaking point.”
### Union Leaders Announce Strike Plans
United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) President Cecily Myart-Cruz and Max Arias, the executive director of Service Employees International Union Local 99, made the announcement at a large rally Wednesday afternoon in Gloria Molina Grand Park, across from City Hall in downtown L.A.
“The message to the public is: stand with educators. Stand with teachers. Stand with support professionals,” Myart-Cruz said. “Because one job should be enough, one job should be enough, and we need to get away from the victim shaming of educators.”
She highlighted the struggles faced by union members, saying, “We have members who are 30 years old, still living with their parents because they cannot afford a place to live. We have people coming from the Inland Empire, driving all the way down to San Pedro schools, doing that on behalf of the school community, but mostly for our babies.”
### Details on the Proposed Strike
UTLA members are currently working under a contract that expired last June. If the strike occurs, it would be an open-ended work stoppage lasting until an agreement is reached. The last similar strike lasted six days in January 2019; during that strike, schools remained open to provide meals and childcare but offered virtually no instruction.
In March 2023, UTLA members walked out for three days in solidarity with a strike called by Local 99, which represents most employees without certified teaching credentials. That walkout completely shut down schools because campuses could not remain open without the vast majority of both teaching and non-teaching employees.
UTLA represents more than 30,000 classroom teachers, psychologists, attendance counselors, guidance counselors, nurses, and secondary school librarians.
In late January, UTLA members voted overwhelmingly to give their leadership the authority to call a strike at its discretion.
### Local 99: Service Employees Seeking Better Conditions
Members of Local 99 have been working under an expired contract since June 30, 2024. This union represents more than 30,000 district employees, including teacher aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, computer techs, custodians, and gardeners. Many of these workers are among the district’s lowest-paid.
Service employees are demanding a double-digit overall pay increase over a three-year contract. However, two of those three years are already behind them due to prolonged negotiations. Local 99 is also seeking stable work schedules, as many members have had their hours cut due to budget constraints. In some cases, reduced hours have caused workers to fall below the threshold needed to qualify for health benefits. The union states that the average salary for its members is $35,000 per year.
“You cannot have good schools if the people doing the work are worried about whether they’re going to have a place to sleep or whether they’re going to have something to eat,” Arias said. “You can’t continue to have good schools if you don’t have enough people to keep the schools clean.”
### What Teachers Are Demanding
UTLA estimates that its latest proposal would result in an average 17% salary increase over the next two years. The proposal focuses particularly on early-career teachers, aiming to raise their pay to $80,000. The top rate for an experienced educator would be $133,972.
An unusual aspect of UTLA’s strategy is to significantly increase automatic raises based on years of experience and acquired education credits. If successful, this would embed ongoing, significant raises, providing a better hedge against inflation without the union having to negotiate these increases during every contract cycle.
### District’s Counteroffers and Budget Concerns
The district has countered with offers including an 8% raise over two years, with a possible higher raise in the second year depending on district reserves. The third year of the contract would allow for new negotiations on compensation.
In a statement released during the union rally, the district said:
“For example, we’ve increased salary offers, proposed reducing class sizes and lowering counseling ratios. We have also offered no further subcontracting of work historically and exclusively performed by Bargaining Unit employees. Our offers are among the highest in California.”
In the previous three-year contract cycle, UTLA secured a 21% raise, with additional pay going to members with high-demand skills, including nurses, who received an extra $20,000 to better compete with nursing jobs outside education.
### Leadership and Investigation Status
Typically, Superintendent Carvalho would be the district’s voice on labor proposals and budget assessments. Carvalho has denied any wrongdoing and said he wishes to return to work. Meanwhile, Andres Chait, a senior LAUSD administrator, is serving as acting superintendent.
Well-placed sources have confirmed the FBI investigation relates to the failed startup AllHere, which L.A. Unified hired to create an artificial intelligence chatbot. The technology was never fully deployed and was discontinued after three months.
### Financial Challenges Facing LAUSD
The district has been struggling with budget issues for months. Though it currently holds a multibillion-dollar reserve, officials warn that ongoing commitments and declining revenues could exhaust these reserves within about three years unless austerity measures are adopted.
Pressures include the expiration of pandemic aid, declining enrollment, and a wave of sexual misconduct settlements that have financially impacted many public agencies.
On February 18, the school board narrowly voted to issue layoff notices expected to result in 657 job cuts, a move strongly opposed by labor groups as unnecessary and harmful to students.
Despite these challenges, LAUSD started the school year with a $5-billion reserve as part of an $18.8-billion budget.
### Support from Other Labor Groups
Also participating in Wednesday’s rally was the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), representing about 3,000 principals, assistant principals, and central and regional office middle managers. This marks the first time AALA has been involved in a joint union rally of this magnitude.
AALA recently voted to affiliate with the Teamsters. Maria Nichols, president of the administrators’ union, said:
“We’re fighting for the same things. All the unions have a staffing shortage. All the unions have an overabundance of work because we don’t have human capital where we need them. And all of us feel that the district’s priorities when it comes to investing in human capital have fallen short.”
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The potential strike highlights the pressing challenges faced by LAUSD’s educators and support staff, as well as the broader financial difficulties confronting the district. With contract negotiations at a critical juncture, all eyes will be on the coming weeks to see if an agreement can be reached to avoid a disruptive work stoppage.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-18/la-teachers-union-widely-expected-to-announce-strike-date-at-massive-wednesday-rally
