Los Angeles Teachers and Support Staff Prepare for Potential Strike on Tuesday

The Los Angeles Unified School District faces a potential strike by three major unions on Tuesday, which could disrupt education for hundreds of thousands of students. The district, the second-largest in the United States, serves about 398,487 students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, plus over 151,000 in adult education, charter schools, and early education programs.

A strike would affect operations across 1,535 schools and education centers.

United Teachers Los Angeles and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles reached tentative agreements over the weekend. These deals address pay and working conditions. The support staff union, SEIU Local 99, has not reached an agreement and remains in mediation talks on Monday.

The teachers' agreement includes an average pay increase of nearly 14% over two years, higher starting salaries, and commitments to expand student support services such as additional counselors and mental health staff. 65% raise and establishes a 40-hour workweek with flexible time off. These measures aim to address demands related to compensation and workload.

SEIU Local 99 represents essential support staff, including bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers. The union's executive director, Max Arias, stated in a statement that the group is open to the mediation process with the school district.