Los Angeles Schools Reach Tentative Agreement, Averting Major Strike

Tue Apr 14 2026 16:28:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a decisive move, Los Angeles Unified School District and the Service Employees International Union Local 99 have agreed on a tentative deal, preventing a strike that could have disrupted education for nearly 400,000 students.

A tentative agreement was reached between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the SEIU Local 99, which represents support staff, avoiding a strike that could have affected 400,000 students. The deal promises raises, additional hours, and protections for workers. All three unions covering around 70,000 employees threatened a strike but managed to negotiate potential contracts leading to school's operations continuing without interruption.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles schools avoided a strike that would have impacted nearly 400,000 students in Southern California as the school district and the union representing support staff reached a tentative deal early Tuesday.

Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union announced via social media that it won a tentative agreement encompassing “major gains” including raises and increased hours. The district confirmed that an agreement in principle was made with SEIU Local 99, allowing schools to operate normally on Tuesday.

The tentative deal also included worker protections against subcontracting, halted IT layoffs, and increased staffing levels. SEIU Local 99 informed its members to report to work as usual on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to fellow unions and the Los Angeles community with the sentiment that “the victory belongs to ALL of us.”

Teachers, principals, and staff were prepared to strike if an agreement wasn’t reached, marking a critical moment for local education. Other unions representing teachers and principals had secured tentative agreements with the district over the weekend, aiding in the potential to avoid a massive disruption.

Notably, this avoidance of simultaneous strikes is significant, as all three unions representing about 70,000 workers had pledged to strike together if any one union failed to reach an agreement. While the unions have historically avoided simultaneous strikes, tensions remain high as negotiations continue in this vital sector.

The three unions have never coordinated a strike at the same time, as administrators stayed on duty during previous teacher walkouts to maintain school operations. This was exemplified in 2023 when Local 99 members struck, leading to a three-day walkout involving teachers, although about 150 of the district’s 1,000 schools managed to remain open.

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