Los Angeles schools avoid strike after last-minute deal with support staff union

A tentative agreement between the district and support staff union keeps classrooms open for nearly 400,000 students.

Schools across Los Angeles will remain open after a last-minute labor agreement prevented a major strike that could have disrupted learning for hundreds of thousands of students.

According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Unified School District reached a tentative deal with SEIU Local 99, the union representing thousands of support staff workers. The agreement was announced early Tuesday, just hours before a potential walkout that threatened to impact nearly 400,000 students.

Union officials said the deal includes what they described as “major gains” for workers, including pay raises, increased working hours, and protections against subcontracting. The agreement also addresses concerns about potential layoffs in IT roles and calls for increased staffing levels across the district.

As part of the announcement, SEIU Local 99 instructed its members to report to work as usual, effectively calling off the planned strike. The union also thanked other labor groups and the broader Los Angeles community, describing the outcome as a shared victory.

The district confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached and said schools would remain open while final details are worked out. Negotiators are expected to continue refining the terms of the contract in the coming days.

The situation had raised concerns over a large-scale shutdown, as multiple unions representing school employees had signaled they would strike together if any one group failed to secure a deal. In total, about 70,000 workers across three unions, including teachers, principals, and support staff, were involved in negotiations.

Over the weekend, unions representing teachers and school leaders had already reached tentative agreements with the district, increasing pressure to finalize a deal with support staff in time to avoid disruption.

A coordinated strike involving all three unions would have been unprecedented for the district. Previous labor actions, including a 2023 strike by SEIU Local 99, led to partial school closures, though some campuses remained open with limited staffing.

By reaching a last-minute agreement, district officials and union leaders have avoided what could have been one of the largest school disruptions in recent years, at least for now. Final approval of the deal will depend on the ratification process by union members.