Knock LA

After a nail-biting series of negotiations, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and its union siblings won historic protections in a contract that increases salaries, secures paid parental leave, and creates new school psychologist positions, among other provisions. The tentative agreement (TA) between the union and the district was reached at 3:00 AM on Sunday, April 12. However, UTLA delayed calling off a strike until their union partners in Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 — representing custodians, maintenance workers, special education assistants, bus drivers, and other administrative workers — also received an amenable TA. At 2:30 AM on Monday, April 13, LAUSD announced that they had at last reached an agreement with Local 99. 

The last-minute agreements meant that a strike and walkout of more than 70,000 school district employees would not take place. UTLA members and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) were prepared to strike as an act of solidarity with SEIU Local 99 even after receiving their TA. Earlier in 2026, the three unions joined forces and agreed to negotiate with the district as a collective. UTLA took that commitment all the way down to the last minutes of negotiations, promising that without an agreement for Local 99 they were prepared to strike later that day. 

“It is not lost on us in UTLA that what keeps our schools running and our students fed are the cafeteria staff, our aids, our custodial staff, and more,” said Skye Tooley, an LAUSD teacher and UTLA member, in an interview with Knock LA. “The fact that they were having wages essentially stolen from them by the district due to the district not paying them a living wage has been abhorrent. We were doing an injustice by not standing by them sooner in their fight. When we stand together, we achieve more and are able to do more for our community members and our students.”

The agreement reached between SEIU Local 99 and LAUSD secured significant wins — such as a 24% wage increase over three years with 12% in retroactive pay, protections against subcontracting, health benefits for union members working four hours in more than one assignment, a task force to add more hours for workers, and more.  

“This is what collective power looks like,” Local 99 said in a statement posted to their website on April 14. “Because of members’ unity and readiness to take action, we secured major wins.”

For Tooley, some of the biggest wins in UTLA’s agreement with the district include parental leave, immigration protections, and LBGTQ protections. 

“We were able to get four weeks paid parental leave,” Tooley told Knock LA, emphasizing that the new policy was inclusive of all genders. “With immigration, we won language around protecting educators who are protecting students as well as language around supporting immigrant families with more resources. Lastly, with LGBTQIA+, we won language around protecting not just our students but also our gender expansive employees. It made me proud to be part of the bargaining team and be able to uplift those who could not be in the room.”

While union members rejoiced in what was a hard-fought victory, there was also palpable irritation in the aftermath of the agreements being reached. 

“I was most frustrated at how long it took the district to come to the table with any sort of money,” Tooley told Knock LA. “According to Califoria Ed. Code [California Education Code Section 41372], 55% of money is meant to be invested in direct instruction and support at our schools. LAUSD consistently fails to meet this. It was frustrating seeing our taxpayer money be used in such a way that we could not bargain for multiple months until the last minute when they finally brought something usable to the table.”

Had the strike occurred, it would have been the third major walkout by LA educator unions in seven years and it would have impacted the 400,000 students attending the country’s second-largest school district. In 2023, SEIU Local 99 went on strike for three days. Their biggest demand was an increase in wages, citing that the average union member made $25,000 a year. UTLA joined the strike in solidarity, instructing its members not to cross the picket line. The 2023 strike ended after LAUSD and Local 99 struck a deal that included raising wages to $33,000 per year for the average employee. 

UTLA will return to bargaining for their next contract in nine months. With this latest union victory as a feather in their cap, Tooley said that they are looking forward to the next steps of advocating for their students and their fellow workers. 

“We are progressing forward despite what is happening around us, and we are able to continue to fight for our students and fight for today’s money for today’s kids,” Tooley said. “I feel that this was a phenomenal win for all three bargaining units. However, we are always strike ready!”