The Los Angeles Unified School District and Service Employees International Union Local 99 reached a tentative agreement around 2 a.m. Tuesday Pacific Time. 

United Teachers Los Angeles and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles agreed to tentative contracts Sunday night. If SEIU had not reached an agreement, all three unions would have for the first time in the nation’s second-largest district.

鈥淲e are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement in principle with SEIU Local 99 that will allow schools to be open,鈥� the district said in a . 鈥淟os Angeles Unified and SEIU Local 99 teams will continue to work together to finalize the details of a tentative agreement.鈥�

The union, which represents more than 30,000 bus drivers, teachers鈥� assistants, custodians and cafeteria workers, had of bad-faith bargaining and retaliation. The teachers union and its 37,000 members had planned to walk out with the SEIU local in solidarity, as it did when the union an unfair labor charge strike in 2023. This time, the administrators union, which represents more than 3,000 principals and assistant principals, had planned to strike in support as well.

鈥淏ecause of our members’ unity and readiness to take action, we secured major wins 鈥� including significant improvements to wages and hours; stronger protections against subcontracting; increased staffing; and we successfully stopped layoffs for (information technology) workers,鈥� Local 99 said in a Tuesday . 鈥淭his is what collective power looks like.鈥�

The union and the district have been bargaining for two years, said Blanca Gallegos, the union鈥檚 communications director.

鈥淐urrently, the average wage in (our union) is about $35,000, which is below poverty for a family of four,” she said before the agreement was reached. “We’re also looking to increase hours 鈥� because the district relies on a lot of part-time work 鈥� so about 80% of Local 99 members are working less than eight hours a day.鈥�

The district previously a 13% raise, but the union it wasn鈥檛 enough to provide a livable salary for its members. The union also wanted staff to be able to work more hours. Gallegos said many employees were restricted to a number of hours that鈥檚 just under the threshold needed to qualify for health benefits 鈥� a reason why picketing would have been classified as an . The district didn鈥檛 respond to a request for comment about the unfair labor charge.

鈥淒uring these two years of negotiations, the district has taken a lot of actions that are retaliatory. One of them is they reduce the hours of thousands of members so that they’re not eligible for health care benefits 鈥� I mean, like 15 minutes short of being eligible,鈥� Gallegos said. 鈥淲e see that as undermining the contract.鈥�

罢耻别蝉诲补测鈥檚 includes a 24% pay increase over three years and minimum work hour schedules for specific positions. 

The district had told all three unions it can’t afford huge raises, but bargaining leaders pointed to a $5 billion reserve fund. Los Angeles Unified has the account is dwindling amid a projected . 

United Teachers Los Angeles Sunday that it agreed to a tentative two-year contract that increases the average salary by 13.86%, with a minimum raise of 8%. The union had rejected an April 1 that included a 10% raise over three years with a one-time 3% bonus for this school year.

The new contract, which will expire in 2027, also includes four weeks of paid parental leave; more psychologists, psychiatric social workers and counselors; lower class sizes; and stipends for teachers if class sizes exceed the limit.

鈥淭he flexing of our collective power forced LAUSD to direct significant funding into critical priorities identified by UTLA members in the Win Our Future contract demands,鈥� the union said in a .

United Teachers Los Angeles has been a key player in a statewide effort to improve pay and working conditions during contract negotiations this year. The , coordinated by the California Teachers Association, asked union locals in 32 districts to focus demands around wages, staffing, fewer layoffs and school closures. It also aims to pressure the state to increase school funding.

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles was 12% raises over two years, with a chance to renegotiate in the third year of its next contract. The district to an 11.65% salary increase. Union members stipends if they work in a high-needs school or are a school鈥檚 single administrator, and 40 hours a year of professional training.

鈥淭his moment did not happen by accident. It happened because 90% of you voted yes to authorize a strike,鈥� union President Maria Nichols said to her members in a . 鈥淚t happened because you trusted our union. It happened because you stood firm, you stood together and you refused to be overlooked. Your courage at that vote changed the tone at the bargaining table. Your unity shifted the balance of power. Your perseverance made this moment possible.鈥�

The unions haven鈥檛 announced a timetable for ratifying the contracts. 

In case of a strike, the district had planned to at community food sites and offer classroom lesson packets. But some parents said loss of learning and other resources would have lasting negative impacts on their children.

Maria Palma, founder of the parent advocacy group , said the pandemic combined with other local school interruptions, such as immigration enforcement raids, have caused students to miss multiple days of school.

鈥淢any parents are very concerned about the learning loss that has happened,鈥� she said. 鈥淢ost recently, we had a protest where teachers were telling students that they should walk out of schools and protest against ICE. The loss of so many school days for some kids that are now, for example, in high school, over all these years, has been considerable.鈥�

A strike would have been especially devastating for Indigenous and immigrant families, said Evelyn Aleman, founder of , a local parent advocacy nonprofit. The district serves roughly 30,000 immigrant students, and 25% of them are undocumented, according to the .

Aleman said language barriers had made it difficult for immigrant parents to keep up with district updates about the strike. 

Undocumented parents don鈥檛 feel safe enough to pick up materials or food distributed by the district because of fears of deportation, she said. Many parents involved with Our Voice also work as street vendors and are the single guardians of multiple children, making it impossible to find child care.

鈥淲hen LAUSD says there’s going to be food centers, some parents don’t have vehicles. It’s very frustrating,鈥� Aleman said. 鈥淪ome children will remain unwatched, because some of the parents will leave the children in the home and sometimes leave cameras. That’s how they monitor the children 鈥� that’s what is happening when these situations arise.鈥�

The union fully-funded health care and an 8.5% raise over two years for classified staff including paraprofessionals. Teachers will get a 5% raise over two years. It鈥檚 a compromise between the district鈥檚 original offer of 2% and the union鈥檚 demand of an increase between 9% and 14%.

Improving special education working conditions was also a key demand for the union. The includes caseload reductions, increased pay for added duties and requirements to ensure students receive special education services in a timely manner.

United Educators of San Francisco began its first strike in nearly 50 years on Monday after 11 months of failed negotiations with the district. Schools were shuttered for roughly 50,000 students as thousands of educators flocked to picket lines. More than 250 principals, office clerks and custodians in two other unions went on a in solidarity. 

鈥淣one of this would have been possible without the thousands of you who have shown up to our board actions, signed petitions to commit to our campaign, written letters to our Board of Education, and 鈥� in the last four days 鈥� shown up in the rain to support your big bargaining team in the streets,鈥� the union said in a . 鈥淭his strike has made it clear what is possible when we join together and fight for the stability in our schools that many have said was out of our reach.鈥�

While staff reported to work on Friday, students will return on Feb. 18 after two previously scheduled holidays. Superintendent Maria Su said in a that the agreement marked 鈥渁 new beginning.鈥�

鈥淚 recognize that this past week has been challenging,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hank you to the (district) staff, community-based partners, and faith and city leaders who partnered with us to continue centering our students in our work every day. I am so proud of the resilience and strength of our community. 鈥�

Other contract wins include limits on the district鈥檚 use of artificial intelligence, according to the . The district and union also agreed on a proposal to classify schools as for immigrant students, staff and families. The policy bars federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering school grounds or obtaining records without a criminal judicial warrant. Staff will also receive three hours of training to enforce these policies.

The union said information about the contract ratification process will be announced in the near future and leaders are planning to host town halls. The agreement still needs to be approved by both the union and school board. 

鈥淲e know our work is not done,鈥� the union . 鈥淲hile we didn鈥檛 win everything we know we deserve, this strike allowed us to imagine our schools and classrooms as they should be with staffing levels high enough that our students can learn and thrive.  This is a foundation for a stable district.鈥�

The 6,500-member union has been negotiating for nearly a year with San Francisco Unified School District, which has roughly 50,000 students. The district closed more than 100 schools on Monday as the union solidified a strike roughly a week after members approved a walkout in two rounds of voting. More than 250 principals, office clerks and custodians in two other unions also went on a in solidarity. 

Negotiations stalled because of disagreements over pay raises, health care coverage and working conditions for special education teachers. 

鈥淲hat this contract represents is stability for San Francisco Unified for years to come, and its commitment to us and coming to an agreement immediately will secure the schools that San Franciscans deserve,鈥� said union President Cossandra Curiel at a outside Mission High School. 鈥淵ou can expect to see strong picket lines until that agreement is achieved.鈥�

The union is sticking to its for a 9% and 14% pay raise for teachers and paraprofessionals, respectively, over the two-year contract. The current starting for a teacher with a bachelor鈥檚 degree is $73,689. The paraprofessional hourly is $31.52. 

Union officials are also asking for 100% health care coverage, along with caseload limits and more time for administrative tasks for special education staff. 

After multiple hours-long bargaining sessions this weekend, the district with a 6% raise over two years. It proposed implementing the union鈥檚 demand for a new special education workload model as a pilot program at five schools through June 2028. Curiel said Monday that district officials offered 75% health coverage.

San Francisco Unified officials have a $102 million budget deficit makes it impossible to meet the union鈥檚 demands. The union said the district can cover the increased costs with its budget reserve. 

鈥淲e understand that they are under a form of strain from the state, or that’s what their excuse has been up to now,鈥� Curiel said. 鈥淲e see that they have a reserve of almost $400 million. We believe that today’s dollars are for today’s students.鈥�

The district the $400 million is not in reserves, but is already budgeted to prevent layoffs and address the deficit. 

鈥淯sing a one-time fund balance for permanent raises creates a funding cliff,鈥� the district said in a . 鈥淥nce the one-time money runs out, the district would be forced to make even deeper cuts to classrooms and lay off more staff to cover the ongoing cost.鈥�

San Francisco Unified does have $111 million in its reserve fund, but the district said that money is for emergencies.

Superintendent Maria Su said in a that the district鈥檚 proposal 鈥減rovides fiscal certainty by matching spending to available resources鈥� and 鈥渒eeps the district on a clear runway to exit state oversight.鈥� The state started in 2024 because of projected budget deficits.

鈥淟et me be clear, I do not want a prolonged strike,鈥� Su said in a Sunday night. 鈥淚 do not want a strike at all.鈥�

Curiel said the district and union did agree on a proposal to classify schools as for immigrant students, staff and families. The policy bars federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering school grounds or obtaining records without a criminal judicial warrant. Staff will also receive three hours of training to enforce these policies.

Teachers protested in front of several schools Monday morning and hosted a rally in the afternoon that featured Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, the nation鈥檚 second-largest union for educators. On the in front of Mission High School, social studies teacher Cindy Castillo said she鈥檚 striking to improve school stability.

鈥淪tability means that we can retain our educators of color and our students and families of color. It means we can fully staff security, who can build relationships with our students and prevent violence and harm,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t means our students and families feel safe and supported.鈥�

Matt Alexander, president of the San Francisco Unified school board, he supports the strike and believes it’s a necessary step.

鈥淚 am so proud of these educators for standing up for what is right,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 strike for the first time in half a century takes courage. It takes sacrifice. It was not what these educators wanted, but they’re willing to do what needs to be done to create the schools our students deserve.鈥�

Some 3,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff and cafeteria workers in Richmond, California, reported to a picket line instead of their schools Thursday in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. 

Members of the United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters demanded the district of 26,000 students hike wages to address increasing staff vacancies, but West Contra Costa has said a steep budget deficit made that impossible. At least seven other California teachers unions are at an impasse with their districts during contract negotiations. On Wednesday, United Teachers Los Angeles announced an impasse, while United Educators of San Francisco completed the first of two scheduled strike votes. 

West Contra Costa Unified, located in the San Francisco Bay area, has been since February. The district initially proposed no raises for teachers, while the union requested a 5% annual pay hike for the next two school years. Following an impasse in August, the district recently , but the proposal was rejected.

The district鈥檚 Teamsters union, which represents paraprofessionals along with office, cafeteria, maintenance and security workers, on Tuesday. Its members joined the teachers on the picket line Thursday.

United Teachers of Richmond said in a that 70 classrooms are currently without permanent, credentialed teachers and 1,500 educators have left the district in the past five years. 

鈥淭hese vacancies also mean that our students receiving special education services do so from outside contractors, some over Zoom,鈥� the union said in the statement. 鈥淚nability to staff our schools also results in overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers and diminished learning environments.鈥�

Superintendent Cheryl Cotton, who was hired six months ago, said in a that the district already needs significant budget cuts. In a November fact-finding , an arbitrator said West Contra Costa has a deficit of $16.9 million, but the union claimed the budget projections are incorrect and leave out millions in revenue.

鈥淚 heard the real frustration of our educators regarding pay increases, health benefits, special education, fully staffed schools and several other key issues,鈥� Cotton said. 鈥淐ompensation increases only increase the size of the financial reductions our board must make this year.鈥�

Classrooms remained open Thursday as the strike began. On Tuesday, the Richmond City Council approved $50,000 in to expand community center hours and provide programming for children during the strike. 

The union completed a , with 90% of members casting ballots in favor. That pressure caused West Contra Costa Unified to offer a 14.5% raise over two years, and the strike was avoided.

School districts across the nation are struggling to afford teacher contracts amid financial strains caused by loss of state and federal funding, underenrollment and other issues. 

Several California teachers unions have recently declared an impasse during negotiations, including Los Angeles, Berkeley, Madera, Twin Rivers, Natomas, Oakland and San Francisco. The next step in the bargaining process is often hiring a third-party mediator, but a strike can occur if an agreement isn鈥檛 reached. 

More than 99% of United Educators of San Francisco members Wednesday after nine months of bargaining with San Francisco Unified. It鈥檚 the first step in a two-vote process before the union can finalize a strike date.

The union, which has 6,500 members, has for a 14% pay increase for support staff and 9% for teachers over two years, along with improvements to health care coverage, special education teacher workloads and family housing. 

After initially offering no raises, the district a 2% increase in September. The union rejected the offer, and both parties declared an impasse and entered mediation in October. 

A in 2023 resulted in a $9,000 salary increase and an additional 5% raise last year.

The district of 50,000 students has a for the next school year. In 2024, it went through several reductions in expenses and jobs and still has . Just like in Richmond, the union the district of mismanaging the budget and failing to present accurate financial figures. 

鈥淭he superintendent鈥檚 perspective [is] that there is no money and that more cuts will stabilize the school district budget,鈥� the union said in a . 鈥淓very year, we have been in negotiations with the district, they have claimed the same thing. This is despite the facts 鈥� year after year, San Francisco Unified closes its books with millions in surplus cash, they send out pink slips but start the next year with empty classrooms, they put families on a long waitlist to enroll their students while forcing underenrollment at schools.鈥�

San Francisco Unified that it鈥檚 committed to securing an agreement with the union, but it鈥檚 also dealing with fiscal oversight by the state and is in the process of making millions of dollars in budget reductions.

School is finally back in session following a three-week delay at Evergreen Public Schools in southwest Washington, after unionized staff approved a deal with district administrators.

Members of SEIU Local 1948 initiated the first strike in the union鈥檚 57-year history following months of failed contract negotiations.

In , also in southwest Washington, teachers ended a week-long strike on Thursday after reaching a tentative agreement with the district. Meanwhile, staff at Vancouver Public Schools voted Thursday to authorize a strike.

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The union at Evergreen Public Schools represents 1,400 paraeducators, bus drivers, security officers, maintenance workers and other 鈥渃lassified鈥� non-teacher staff. They demanded that the district adequately compensate paraeducators, who assist teachers with classroom instruction, and address what the union described as critical understaffing.

鈥淭his agreement is the product of incredible strength and unity from Evergreen鈥檚 classified staff,鈥� said Mindy Troffer-Cooper, president of the Evergreen chapter of Public School Employees of Washington.

The board last week authorized its legal team to take 鈥渁ll lawful steps necessary鈥� to end the strike, including filing a request in Clark County Superior Court for an to force striking employees back to work.

The district and union negotiators reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday, with union members voting to approve the agreement Thursday night.

Class resumed on Friday, Sept. 12. The district has about 22,000 students.

鈥淥ur members stood strong in the face of legal threats and misleading tactics because they knew what was at stake: stability for students, livable wages for staff, and respect for the work that keeps schools running,鈥� Troffer-Cooper said.

She attributed the success of the strike to solidarity across the labor community, thanking teachers, parents, students, community allies and other labor partners for supporting Evergreen鈥檚 classified staff.

La Center educators to return to class, as Vancouver workers authorize a strike

Members of the La Center began striking Sept. 3. They sought higher wages to retain and attract quality staff and compete with neighboring districts.

Union members planned to vote on the agreement there on Friday. If approved, school will reopen on Monday, Sept. 15. Classes started in La Center on Aug. 27 and then paused due to the strike.

鈥淲e are looking forward to welcoming students back to their classrooms,鈥� said Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz.

A start date for the Vancouver Public Schools strike had not been announced as of Friday afternoon.

Members of the failed to reach an agreement after months of negotiations and have been without a contract since Aug. 31.

The union represents over 800 paraeducators, clerks, secretaries, tech support specialists, maintenance workers and other staff.

Union members for additional training, increased staffing, shortened time between salary increases, and pay hikes for inclement weather and work-related injuries.

鈥淲e deeply respect our VAESP labor partners and appreciate schools cannot run without these staff,鈥� Vancouver Public Schools says on its , adding that bargaining is 鈥渆specially difficult right now鈥� due to funding not matching the actual costs of operations.

鈥淲e are all left trying to find a way to make sure our students and staff get what they need, and deserve, even with our very limited resources,鈥� Vancouver Public Schools adds in its statement.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com.

Judging from the rain and official rhetoric, it was a dark Tuesday morning in Los Angeles.

Officials at the Los Angeles Unified School District were predicting a rough three days for 420,000 students and their families as the district buckled in for a strike led by SEIU Local 99, which represents custodians, bus drivers, special ed assistants and other support staff. With members of United Teachers Los Angeles joining in solidarity, all schools were shut down.

Nearly work for a living, and about live below the poverty level. To support these families in particular, the district partnered with the city and county of Los Angeles to run food distribution sites and staff recreation centers for child care. 

But despite the gloom, a range of positive attitudes were on display: joy, good humor, conviction, hope. Local 99 and teachers union members huddled under tents against the rain at nearly 500 schools and sites across the district, according to Local 99. 

蜜桃影视 visited a handful of them and has these sketches to share. 

Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High School, 6:46 a.m.

Strikers arrive slowly at Susan Miller Dorsey High School, still shaking off their sleep.

A squad of teachers union members wrestles a cover onto the extendable frame of a lawn tent. 

Special education teacher Stacia Trimmer, whose 15 years with the district have done little to blunt her Brooklyn accent, works hand in hand with special ed assistants, one of the units represented by Local 99. 

鈥淭hey work hard, and they love the children,鈥� she says.

The theme of the strike is respect, and Trimmer wonders whether everyone in the district, including teachers like herself, could better appreciate the contributions of Local 99’s members. 

鈥淢aybe we鈥檙e all guilty of it,鈥� she says. 鈥淢aybe we don鈥檛 speak to them enough.鈥� 

Another teacher puts on Rihanna鈥檚 鈥淏itch Better Have My Money,鈥� and Trimmer starts dancing.

The choice of music down the block, at the Local 99 tent, is a bit more subtle: Bob Marley鈥檚 鈥淒uppy Conqueror.鈥� Don鈥檛 try to show off鈥� For I will cut you off 鈥�

Fourteen strikers from both unions are gathered under two tents. 

Local 99 member and special ed assistant Stephanie Smiley has been with the district for 29 years. As a school system veteran, she鈥檚 in a relatively comfortable position, though she would be making more if she were paid for 40 hours a week. As it stands, her contract calls for only 30.

鈥淚鈥檓 here fighting for the ones who need help,鈥� she says.

She also feels the pressure of short-staffing, saying she sometimes works on the de facto security detail at Dorsey, monitoring the cafeteria and recess areas for 鈥減otential altercations.鈥�

There鈥檚 a collective gasp from the strikers when a commuter in a gray Prius rams the curb, and sigh of relief when the motorist drives off, apparently unharmed. It鈥檚 about 7:20, almost an hour into the scheduled picket. 

The wind and rain are picking up.

Baldwin Hills Recreation Center, 8 a.m.

Volunteers in yellow vests and rain gear stand under tents in the Baldwin Hills Rec Center parking loop. Stacked around them are boxes of food meant to tide families over for the next three days.

Jake Varner, a 23-year-old substitute teacher, says there was a steady stream of cars right when they opened at 7:30. By now, traffic has slowed.

He鈥檚 working with Luis Clarke, a community member, and Lauren Brooks, a senior at King Drew Magnet High School. 

鈥淢y mom signed me up,鈥� Brooks says. 鈥溾�� ‘Cause they鈥檙e on strike, I didn鈥檛 have anything else to do.鈥� 

A man pulls up in a white Jeep. 鈥淭wo kids,鈥� he says. The volunteers hand a sack of fruit through the window and place boxes in his trunk 鈥� 12 meals total for the three-day strike.

Among some staples (cereal, applesauce, pizza), his kids might be pleased to find a strawberry creamsicle and mango sorbet. 

Clarke, who says he鈥檚 a mentor for kids in the community, suspects it was God who brought the three volunteers together, pointing out that both Varner and Brooks love science and want to be doctors.

鈥淲ho did that?鈥� he asks. 鈥淲ho orchestrated this? We didn鈥檛 even know we was going to be on the same team.鈥�

Grand View Blvd. Elementary School, 8:43 a.m.

Car horns are honking. Music is blaring. There鈥檚 talk among the picketers of moving down to Venice High School, a mile away. But Grand View Elementary, where a large crowd has gathered, isn鈥檛 lacking for action.

Local 99 member Carlton Van Vactor, a health care assistant at Grand View, cradles a to-go cup of coffee at his chest.

He says if there鈥檚 one thing he鈥檚 fighting for, it鈥檚 better staffing. 

As a health care assistant, he works with some of Grand View鈥檚 highest-needs students. They have breathing devices, feeding tubes.

While feeding one student through a tube attached to his belly, which can take up to an hour, he has to keep an eye on another student who 鈥渂ites, scratches, throws tantrums, everything鈥� 鈥� someone whom, in other schools, a special ed assistant would attend to.

鈥淚 do a job probably for about three people right now,鈥� he says. With the district since 1989, he makes $26 an hour, working seven hours a day.

Los Angeles Public Library, Mar Vista Branch, 3:09 p.m.

Many on the picket line are district parents or grandparents. Some say they were lucky to have found child care for the three days of no school.

Other parents might depend on local resources. In addition to local recreation centers and parks, L.A.鈥檚 libraries made space for kids in the event of a strike. 

It鈥檚 starting to rain again, and outside the Mar Vista Branch of the L.A. Public Library, Marianne Justus hurries in with her mother and two young sons. Her oldest is a first-grader at Short Ave. Elementary School.

鈥淚 lucked out,鈥� she says. Her mom, who lives in Newport Beach, drove up to help Justus and her husband with the kids Tuesday, and is taking her oldest back down to Newport for Wednesday and Thursday.

While her family can bear three days with no school, she fears a longer work stoppage. Remote schooling 鈥� especially for her oldest son, who needs speech therapy 鈥� was 鈥渉orrendous.鈥� 

鈥淢ost kids are still trying to catch up, and kids with special needs are really trying to catch up,鈥� she says. 

鈥淚 totally understand why they鈥檙e striking,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey need higher pay. I just hope it doesn鈥檛 go longer than three days.鈥�

With rain falling this morning, teachers marched, volunteers braved the elements to assist with meal pickup sites, and local institutions made accommodations to welcome some of the 400,000 students who may have had nowhere else to go today. 

A brief collage of what this morning looked like with no schools in session: 

A Los Angeles public school playground stands empty as Los Angeles public school support workers, teachers and supporters walk the picket line.

LAUSD tweeted this statement early Tuesday morning:

The Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald and other community members spent the morning assembling packed meals for LAUSD students.

What happens to the kids while schools are closed? The district posted student activities and resources to Schoology:

Many Los Angeles institutions opened their doors to parents in need of childcare. The Department of Public Social Services shared a free, drop-in recreation program from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. across 16 Los Angeles County parks for students to attend through Thursday:

The Natural History Museum of L.A. and Zoo also stepped in to provide free admissions for parents scrambling to find plans.

And this reporter noted more kids out than usual while on a grocery run:

Outside of Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, a signs reads 鈥淪chool resumes Friday, March 24鈥� as UTLA President Cecily Mart Cruz addresses a press conference.

Bookmark this page to follow rolling strike updates from LAUSD.

During an afternoon press conference, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the two sides were never able to be “in the same room,” but that the district’s latest offer of a 23% raise was still on the table. “We’ve run out of time,” he said.

After Alberto 颁补谤惫补濒丑辞鈥檚 first three months as superintendent of the Los Angeles schools, Nery Paiz, president of the district鈥檚 administrators鈥� union, predicted the job would only 鈥済et exponentially harder.鈥�

He was right. 

Thirteen months into his post as chief of the nation鈥檚 second-largest district, the former Miami-Dade superintendent has had to contend with , and a cyberattack that exposed students鈥� mental health records. Now the district鈥檚 two largest unions are poised to walk off the job for three days, closing schools for the system鈥檚 430,000 students.

Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents roughly 30,000 custodians, cafeteria staff, bus drivers and other service workers, announced the strike last week. United Teachers Los Angeles, also in contract talks with the district, is joining in support. 

Last week, Carvalho braced families for another disruption.

鈥淵ou deserve better,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淜now that we are doing everything possible to avoid a strike.鈥�

But some education advocates say Carvalho 鈥� who never faced a strike in his 14 years as Miami-Dade schools superintendent 鈥� hasn鈥檛 done enough to avert the work stoppage and may have underestimated the strength of California鈥檚 labor unions. While observers give him credit for trying to polish the district鈥檚 image and fill teacher vacancies, they say reaching an agreement with the employees who served meals, sanitized schools and delivered devices to students鈥� homes during the darkest days of the pandemic should have been one of his first priorities. 

鈥淭his is a defining moment for the superintendent and for LAUSD. This is a union town and that鈥檚 a huge lesson,鈥� said Elmer Roldan, executive director of Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, a nonprofit that serves many students whose parents are Local 99 members. 鈥淲hen we were praising school employees for their bravery, this is who we were talking about.鈥�

Local 99鈥檚 leaders say their three-day stoppage is technically not about money. The union called the because they said supervisors have tried to prevent or retaliate against them for participating in union meetings. They were offended that Carvalho referred to the union鈥檚 organizing activities as a 鈥渃ircus鈥� in a that was later deleted.

On Sunday, the state鈥檚 Public Employment Relations Board from the district to seek a court order to prevent the strike. The agency鈥檚 general counsel is still considering the district鈥檚 allegation that the strike is illegal. Officials contend the union hasn鈥檛 exhausted efforts to resolve its differences with the district.

颁补谤惫补濒丑辞鈥檚 , made Friday, is a one-time 5% bonus for 2020-21 and a 19% raise spread over 2021-22 though 2024-25. But the union, whose members earn an average of $25,000, wants a 30% increase, increased staffing levels and more full-time work. 

They argue that with almost $5 billion in reserves, the district can afford to meet their demands. But district financial data shows that all but $140 million of that money is spoken for. Carvalho has also warned of an impending fiscal cliff 鈥� 鈥淎谤尘补驳别诲诲辞苍,鈥� he called it 鈥� as and federal relief funds run out. 

Local 99 has been without a contract for nearly three years, but relations with Carvalho began to sour after he rescheduled four optional 鈥渁cceleration days鈥� to help students catch up from learning loss due to school closures. Originally scattered throughout the school year, Carvalho moved them to coincide with winter and spring break after UTLA pushed back.

Local 99 leaders said they weren鈥檛 consulted and that almost half of their members wouldn鈥檛 be able to work on those days. They filed an in October over the move, calling it 鈥渄isrespectful鈥� and a violation of collective bargaining laws.

Carvalho, meanwhile, said during a Wednesday press conference that Local 99 has not responded to the district鈥檚 last two offers. Jackie Goldberg, the school board鈥檚 pro-union president, said she鈥檚 confused by Local 99鈥檚 determination to strike even though the district was willing to increase the offer.

鈥淭his is the first time since I’ve been doing this that there鈥檚 been no back and forth,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not negotiation. It makes me very disappointed.鈥�

The district declined to make Carvalho available for an interview.

鈥楻elatively rare鈥�

Unlike Local 99, UTLA hasn鈥檛 reached an impasse yet and was in a with the district on Friday over its demand for a 20% pay increase. 

The teachers union鈥檚 involvement in this week鈥檚 strike, however, could complicate the narrative that the action 鈥� and another disruption for families 鈥� is primarily about demanding respect and wage increases for low-wage workers. 

State law allows one bargaining unit to go on a with another union, but Bradley Marianno, an assistant education professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said it鈥檚 鈥渉ighly unusual,鈥� for a teachers union to join a walkout with non-teaching employees.

鈥淭hey may issue statements of support, but to join in strike is a different, and relatively rare, matter,鈥� he said. UTLA, he said, 鈥渃an jump in and leverage it to influence their own bargaining negotiations without much fallout in terms of public perception.鈥�

The joint walkout is further surprising because the two unions are often at odds politically. Just last fall, they supported different candidates for a highly contested seat on the school board. UTLA鈥檚 candidate Roc铆o Rivas, defeated Maria Brenes, who was backed by Local 99.

The solidarity over the strike, however, doesn鈥檛 mean there鈥檚 no division in the ranks. Paiz, the administrators union head, said he thinks some UTLA and Local 99 members will report to schools this week along with the administrators, secretaries, plant managers and others not on strike. The unions, he said, are 鈥減ortraying 100% buy-in from both groups, but I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 the case.鈥�

Even so, 颁补谤惫补濒丑辞鈥檚 troubled relationship with the two unions makes it tougher for him to keep the district moving toward the set last year, including 70% of students earning a C or higher in college-prep courses and increasing the percentage of third graders proficient in reading by 30 percentage points.

鈥淭his unprecedented moment has consequences beyond the relationship between the district and its labor partners,鈥� said Ana Teresa Dahan, managing director of GPSN, the advocacy organization formerly known as Great Public Schools Now. 鈥淭he successful implementation of the strategic plan is potentially at stake,鈥� she added, as staff and families try to 鈥渘avigate the tensions.

Board member Tanya Ortiz-Franklin said the board has given Carvalho the go-ahead to negotiate 鈥渁 significant raise鈥� and she said Carvalho has been handling the situation 鈥減rudently.鈥� But she acknowledged the need for repair.

鈥淭here are important lessons to be learned about communication and respect that I hope can be used to improve relationships crucial to serving our students, families and employees,鈥� she said.

They sympathize with the workers. Some plan to join them on the picket line at LA Unified schools. 

But when it comes to union and district leaders, LAUSD parents are skeptical and angry.

SEIU Local 99, LAUSD鈥檚 30,000-member union representing employees like custodians, bus drivers, and special education assistants, plans to strike next Tuesday through Thursday. In solidarity, United Teachers Los Angeles has asked its 35,000 members not to cross picket lines.

All district schools would shut down, affecting 420,000 students and their families.

Leaders from both unions say they are fighting for students. Better pay and working conditions, they reason, translate to a healthier learning environment. District leaders say the same. Closing schools during the work stoppage will keep students safe, they say, while refusing the unions鈥� full demands will safeguard the district鈥檚 financial health.

And then there are the families caught in the middle.  

鈥淎nytime someone says, we are for the students, or students are first priority, and it鈥檚 all about the kids, I just have to take it with a grain of salt,鈥� said Paul Robak, chair of LAUSD鈥檚 . 鈥淏ecause clearly, the ones who would lose most in any work slowdown of any union in the school district are the students.鈥� 

The three-day strike would be the latest in four years of major disruptions across LAUSD, beginning with the six-day teachers strike in January 2019 and rolling through more than a year of fully remote schooling, during which and chronic absenteeism spiked. 

Parents sympathize with Local 99鈥檚 members. With an average salary of $25,000 a year, they struggle to make it in LA, and many are parents themselves. But they are also exhausted and fear the consequences a strike could have for their children and the district as a whole, especially after the pandemic kept district schools closed for a long time, and students鈥� academics and mental health suffered.   

They blame union and district leaders for the shutdown.

鈥淚t鈥檚 both the district鈥檚 fault and their labor partners鈥�. They put parents in the middle of it,鈥� said Christie Pesicka, a leader in the groups California Students United and United Parents LA.

Diana Guillen, chair of LAUSD’s , said a strike 鈥渧iolates kids鈥� rights鈥� on the heels of the pandemic. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an ethical failing from the unions,鈥� she said, speaking in Spanish. 

Parents鈥� immediate concerns, however, are more basic. Where will working parents send their young children? How will students who depend on school-provided meals eat? After years of academic setbacks, how will students avoid further losses?

At a Wednesday press conference, LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district is partnering with community organizations to make food available at 60 locations across the city and to provide childcare. As for academics, students will receive homework packets to keep them occupied. 

The LA Times community groups and agencies, from the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor to the LA County Department of Parks and Recreation, are preparing for an influx of students during the day.

Some students, whose parents fully support the striking workers, will spend at least part of the week on the picket line.

鈥淲hen the teachers originally went on strike a couple years ago, I was all for it. My kids were out there marching,鈥� said Yazmin Arevalo, whose 4th grader attends Gates Elementary in Lincoln Heights. 鈥淚 would do it again鈥ecause they deserve it. If they haven鈥檛 been able to come to an agreement, then why not?鈥� 

But she added other parents at Gates Elementary, who also supported teachers in 2019, felt betrayed when many of their children languished through remote schooling. This time, they鈥檙e wary of supporting striking workers. 

Based on recent messaging alone, 颁补谤惫补濒丑辞鈥檚 chief concern is the safety and wellbeing of students.

鈥淲e should not be depriving our students of an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to feel safe, or an opportunity to receive social and emotional support 鈥� and food,鈥� he said at Wednesday鈥檚 press conference.

But that evening, at a massive joint rally held by Local 99 and UTLA that filled up Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall, union members demonstrated their commitment to students in a way Carvalho, on his own, could never match. 

Among the thousands of rally participants, there were children everywhere. 

They clambered over playground structures, and held their parents鈥� hands as they threaded clusters of attendees. Some wore UTLA red, others SEIU purple. When UTLA president Cecily Myart-Cruz shouted over the loudspeaker, asking parents in the crowd to identify themselves, a wave of hands shot up. Local 99 often points out 43% of its members have school-age children.

Attending the rally was Jesus Flores, a special education assistant at 75th Street Elementary who鈥檚 worked in the district for 18 years. He spends six hours a day on the district鈥檚 clock and picks up extra work as an Uber driver. 

Flores has three kids, ages five, six, and eight, all at LAUSD schools. He considers striking a short-term sacrifice that鈥檚 in their long-term interest.

鈥淎t the end of the day, I鈥檒l be thinking about my kids鈥� future,鈥� he said. 

Next week, he and his wife, also a special ed assistant with the district, will be switching off on childcare duty. But he said he hopes the union and district will come together before Tuesday to work out a deal. 

鈥淟et鈥檚 hope it doesn鈥檛 happen,鈥� he said of the strike. Missing that pay 鈥渞eally does take a toll.鈥�

The district meeting Local 99鈥檚 demands would mean a 30% wage increase for Flores and other union members, among other benefits.

So far, the district鈥檚 core offer includes three 5% wage increases, the first two retroactive, respectively, to July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, and the third to take effect July 1, 2023.

UTLA, which is further behind in negotiations, is asking for a 20% raise over two years, part of its sweeping platform.

Local 99鈥檚 scheduled three-day strike is what鈥檚 known as an unfair practice charge strike, meant to protest by district officials. 

The union鈥檚 other weapon is an economic strike, which would last indefinitely, but is only legal once the state-facilitated negotiation process has been exhausted.

At the district鈥檚 Wednesday press event, Carvalho and board president Jackie Goldberg urged union leaders to meet them at the negotiating table before Tuesday, where they would be ready 鈥�24/7鈥� to hash out an agreement that goes beyond what has already been offered. 

鈥淚鈥檓 ready, willing, available to meet nonstop, day and night, with our labor leaders to avoid a strike by finding a solution where everyone is a winner, beginning with our kids,鈥� Carvalho said. 

鈥淲e have more resources to put on the table. There is time.鈥�

Information for families 鈥� including where they can pick up meals for their children during the work stoppage 鈥� can be found at this LAUSD website: .