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In a bold move that could shake Southern California, leaders of the Los Angeles teachers and service workers unions announced Wednesday that they will strike on April 14 if contract talks with the Los Angeles Unified School District do not improve.
Union officials said the district has ignored urgent demands for better pay, more staff and improved working conditions. Toby Canham for CA PostIt could result in the shut down of the nation’s second-largest school system.
Thousands of chanting supporters packed Gloria Molina Grand Park near City Hall as union leaders delivered the news.
Teachers, bus drivers, nurses, janitors and other school employees would walk off the job if negotiations remain deadlocked.
Union officials said the district has ignored urgent demands for better pay, more staff and improved working conditions.
Protesters waved signs calling for fairness and respect for the employees who keep the city’s schools running.
If the strike happens, nearly 400,000 students could face school closures and disrupted schedules.
District officials have remained tight-lipped, signaling that major disagreements over budgets and pay are still unresolved.
The April 14 strike date now stands as a potential flashpoint that could disrupt classrooms and intensify the fight over education and labor rights in Los Angeles.
Teachers are pushing for a 17% raise, including boosting starting salaries to $80,000. The district has countered with an 8% offer — with strings attached — citing shrinking reserves and long-term financial strain. Toby Canham for CA PostThe district is already reeling, with Superintendent Alberto Carvalho sidelined on paid leave after an FBI raid on his home and office. Meanwhile, budget woes are spiraling, layoffs are looming, and officials have warned finances are at a “breaking point.”
Both unions have been working without contracts for months — teachers since last June, support staff since mid-2024 — and patience has run dry.
The stakes are massive. A similar walkout in 2023 shut schools completely, and leaders warn this one could drag on indefinitely.
Teachers are pushing for a 17% raise, including boosting starting salaries to $80,000. The district has countered with an 8% offer — with strings attached — citing shrinking reserves and long-term financial strain.
District officials insist they’ve sweetened the pot repeatedly. “Our offers are among the highest in California,” they said in a statement.
But with negotiations dragging past the one-year mark, unions aren’t buying it.
Now, with tensions boiling over and a strike deadline set, LA parents are bracing for a familiar nightmare: shuttered campuses, disrupted lives and a school system on the brink.
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