Los Angeles Unified reached a labor deal with its teachers union on Sunday, but educators are expected to honor the picket lines on Tuesday.
That’s because the district is still in negotiations with SEIU Local 99 — which represents bus drivers, classroom aides and other staffers. The district is also negotiating with its administrator union.
“Despite UTLA teachers having reached a tentative agreement with the school district, teachers have pledged to stand in solidarity with SEIU Local 99 and join in a sympathy strike,” SEIU Local 99 said in a news statement on Sunday.
About the teachers’ deal
A tentative two-year agreement between LAUSD and United Teachers Los Angeles was announced Sunday morning.
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Terms of the new contract include an increase in salary scales by 11.65%, a new-teacher salary of $77,000 per year, four weeks of district-paid parental leave, expanded student mental health supports and a first-ever 20:1 ratio for special education specialist teachers.
UTLA said in an Instagram post that its bargaining team “enthusiastically recommends” that union members ratify the new contract.
“These wins reflect the progress we’ve fought for, enabling educators to stay fully focused on supporting students’ learning and well-being,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, the union’s president, in a statement.
A district spokesperson told LAist that the ongoing cost of the agreement with UTLA is $650 million and also includes “a comprehensive agreement on inclusive practices and staffing,” reduced secondary counseling ratios and smaller ratios for 11th- and 12th-grade academic class sizes.
The union’s members and the Los Angeles Unified Board must vote to approve the deal.
Strike could still go on
The district had an April 14 deadline to reach a deal with the unions, or else face a walkout. A strike including teachers would have shut down district schools and disrupted the education of about 400,000 students and the lives of families scrambling for child care.
The district is also in negotiations with the union representing administrators.
The members of each union voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the power to call a strike after contract talks stalled.
What did UTLA bargain for?
UTLA’s bargaining team had met with the district more than a dozen times since negotiations began in February 2025.
The union’s proposals included:
A 17% raise over two years.A minimum starting teacher salary of nearly $78,000 — a 13% increase.Changes to the salary schedule so that newer teachers who complete professional development can earn increases more quickly.Reducing class sizes and adding more mental health support for students. Learn more.
What about the other unions?
The other two unions that have yet to reach agreements include SEIU Local 99, which represents support staff, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, which represents administrators.
SEIU Local 99
30,000 members include: bus drivers, cafeteria workers, classroom and campus aides
Contract expired: June 30, 2024
Most recent meeting with LAUSD: Thurs., April 9, 2026
The union’s proposals include:
A 30% wage increase over three years. More hours for workers who don’t have enough to qualify for benefits.
LAUSD’s most recent offer includes:
A 13% wage increase over three years.A task force that includes SEIU Local 99 members to advise the district on artificial intelligence use.Learn more.
SEIU Local 99 also declared an impasse in December, but was at a different stage in the bargaining process than UTLA.
The state has appointed a mediator to try to help the two sides reach an agreement.
The basis for SEIU’s strike vote is what the union says are more than a dozen unfair labor practice charges, where members have been disciplined or lost hours as a result of participating in union activities.
SEIU Local 99 reports its members make an average of $35,000 a year.
Maria Avalos is a supervision aide at Fernangeles Elementary School in Sun Valley. Avalos said she’s only assigned four hours of work a day and also cleans houses and sells tamales to support her daughter.
“We need more hours,” Avalos said. “I live in an apartment that has one bedroom for 10 of us.”
Associated Administrators of Los Angeles
3,000 members include: principals, directors and other administrators
Contract expired: June 30, 2025
Most recent meeting with LAUSD: Monday, April 6, 2026
The union’s proposals include:
A 12% raise over two years.The ability to use flex time more easily.
LAUSD’s most recent offer includes:
A 10% wage increase over three years.Additional stipends for administrators in specific positions.Learn more.
If AALA members still walk out April 14, it would be a first for the union, which affiliated with the Teamsters in 2024.
The union declared an impasse in February, an assessment the district disagreed with, but it agreed to continue negotiating.
“We don’t have the necessary resources to really say we have safe schools, to really say that we’re servicing students,” said Maria Nichols, president of AALA, during a pre-strike rally.
Senior editor for education Ross Brenneman contributed to this story.