LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Unified has reached tentative agreements with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), and an agreement in principle with Service Employees International Union Local 99 (SEIU). This milestone reflects a shared commitment to supporting employees and strengthening schools.
“These agreements honor the critical work of our employees and will require us to stay focused on what matters most for our schools and to work collaboratively to identify the resources needed to deliver on our commitments,” Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait said. “Today presents an opportunity to turn the page and reset our relationship with Labor. As someone who has dedicated my career to this District, I believe deeply in Los Angeles Unified and I know we achieve our best outcomes when we are truly unified.”
The District has committed to meaningful salary increases and preserving the longstanding commitment to fully funding 100% of employee health and welfare benefits, an investment that has grown significantly over time. Together, these actions ensure that educators and school staff are compensated competitively, reinforcing the District’s ability to attract and retain a high-quality workforce, and preserve stability for students and school communities.
With these agreements, Los Angeles Unified has taken deliberate steps to protect classroom instruction and prioritize students. Even as difficult decisions are required, we continue to invest in critical areas such as expanding instructional supports, reducing class sizes, and maintaining essential services that families rely on every day.
Los Angeles Unified continues to advocate for long-term, sustainable funding solutions at the state level. Declining enrollment combined with rising costs has created structural challenges not unique to Los Angeles, but shared by districts statewide. District leaders are working closely with policymakers, labor partners, and the broader community to ensure that schools remain financially stable while continuing to serve students at the highest level.
Los Angeles Unified remains focused on its core mission to deliver high-quality instruction, maintain safe and supportive school environments, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Quotes From Board of Education Members
“I'm happy to see that the District has reached agreements with UTLA, SEIU Local 99, and AALA. My hope with these agreements is that everybody in the District sees how important the members of these three respective unions are to school functions. We simply cannot operate without them. Thank you to the leadership of all our labor partners and their bargaining teams for helping us keep our schools safe and operational for all of our communities.” — Board President Scott M. Schmerelson
“Our educators, school staff, and administrators are the backbone of our school communities. I’m grateful to everyone who stayed at the table, pushed through tough conversations, and remained committed to reaching a solution.” — Board Vice President Dr. Rocío Rivas
“Reaching agreements with United Teachers Los Angeles, Service Employees International Union, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles/Teamsters demonstrates what is possible when we focus on our shared responsibility to students. Working together, in good faith, we were able to avoid disruption and keep our schools open for the students and families we serve. These agreements represent a commitment not only to our workforce, but to the success and well-being for every student in Los Angeles.” — Board Member Sherlett Hendy Newbill
“We are grateful to the educators, administrators, and service employees whose dedication sustains our schools every day, and we’re pleased to have reached agreements that recognize their contributions while providing stability for our students and families. These agreements allow us to avert disruption a strike would cause and maintain stability for our students and families we serve.” — Board Member Nick Melvoin
“I’m grateful that after extensive negotiations and good faith efforts from both sides, we have finally reached agreements with all our workforce and avoided what could have been a significant disruption to student learning. Our AALA, UTLA and SEIU Local 99 employees are essential partners in ensuring that our students have a safe, clean and supportive learning environment where they can thrive academically, mentally, and socially, and these agreements reflect the invaluable contributions they make to our students' growth. Now that we have avoided a strike, we can all focus on supporting our students and families through what has already been one of the most difficult years for many in our communities.” — Board Member Karla Griego
“Every day, our classified workers, our educators, and our school administrators work tirelessly on behalf of our students and families, and these deals recognize their incredible contributions to our District and the rising costs of living and working in Los Angeles. I’m proud of the progress we have made in investing in our SEIU, UTLA, and AALA employees — an investment in our LAUSD employees is an investment in our students’ well-being. I appreciate the dedication of our District staff and labor partners in working together to reach these agreements and avoid disruption to the school day and the urgent work of educating our students. I look forward to future ongoing collaboration with our labor partners in advocating for additional State revenue to continue to invest in our students, schools and employees.” — Board Member Kelly Gonez
“I am deeply appreciative and proud that we were able to come together with SEIU Local 99, UTLA and AALA Teamsters 2010 to agree on contracts that center our students, honor our employees, and acknowledge the growing needs of our communities. I’m excited to build on the unity and collaboration of this moment to secure the state and federal resources our public schools deserve.” — Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin
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