The lausd strike 2026 remains unresolved as Los Angeles Unified School District leaders continue last-minute negotiations Monday with the remaining union in dispute. Two of the three major unions have reached tentative agreements, but families of roughly 390, 000 students are still facing the possibility of a Tuesday shutdown. The district says it is working to keep schools open while SEIU Local 99 stays in mediation.
Tuesday Still in Play as Talks Continue
As of Monday morning ET, the situation remains fluid, with negotiators pausing after a long Sunday session that ran from about 10 a. m. until about 9: 30 p. m. The holdout union, SEIU Local 99, is scheduled to resume mediation Monday afternoon ET, and all three unions have said they would walk out if any one of them failed to secure a tentative agreement. That makes the lausd strike 2026 a live threat even after the district announced settlements with United Teachers Los Angeles and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles/Teamsters 2010.
The district’s board is set to begin a closed session at 10 a. m. ET at headquarters just west of downtown, with “Conference with Labor Negotiators” listed as the top agenda item. District unions that are not striking are also part of that discussion, because officials must consider whether their members would honor picket lines or help with emergency tasks if schools shut down Tuesday.
What the Tentative Deals Cover
UTLA represents about 37, 000 teachers, nurses, counselors, psychologists and librarians. AALA represents about 3, 000 principals and assistant principals, while SEIU Local 99 represents about 30, 000 teacher aides, campus aides, gardeners, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and tech support staff. The lausd strike 2026 could be averted if district leaders and Local 99 reach an agreement, but that outcome was still uncertain in the latest talks.
Under the tentative UTLA agreement, salary scales rise by 11. 65%, beginning teacher pay goes to $77, 000 a year, and the deal adds more student mental health counselors, four weeks of district-paid parental leave and reduced class sizes for special education classes. The district also reached a tentative deal with AALA that raises salaries by 11. 65% over two years with a reopener in the third year.
Reactions From the Bargaining Table
Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, said union solidarity remains strong as bargaining continues. “We continue to be open to the mediation process with the school district, ” Arias said. “Just as we work together every day in our classrooms and campuses, we are proud to be united with teachers and principals in the fight for our schools, students, and communities. ”
Arias added that the district can avoid a strike by ending “harassment and retaliation” against Local 99 workers and presenting proposals that “ensure equity and fairness for everyone who contributes to student learning. ” Armaghan Khan, a UTLA bargaining team member and science teacher, said, “It’s been a long road to get here, so I feel pretty good about today. ”
Jazmin Araujo-Vargas, a special education assistant and parent of two LAUSD students, said her union does not want to strike. “What they’re offering continues to keep us below the poverty line, ” she said. “So we’re asking for wages that put us a little slightly above the poverty line. ”
Why the Stakes Are So High
The clash centers on an unfair-practice strike tied to alleged district violations of legally protected organizing rights. Local 99’s action would be open-ended, meaning schools could remain closed indefinitely if the walkout goes forward. The lausd strike 2026 also carries a wider impact because teachers have pledged to stand in solidarity with Local 99 if no deal is reached.
That puts thousands of workers and hundreds of thousands of students in limbo while both sides test whether Monday’s mediation can close the gap. If the remaining negotiations fail, the district enters Tuesday with no clear path to keep every campus open, and the lausd strike 2026 would move from warning to reality.
