LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 Deal Averts Three‑Union Strike, Keeps 400,000 Students in School

Los Angeles Unified School District and Service Employees International Union Local 99 reached a tentative agreement early Tuesday that averted a coordinated strike that had been planned by three unions and would have affected nearly 400,000 students across Southern California. The deal, which still must be ratified by SEIU Local 99 members, reportedly includes a roughly 24% wage increase for about 30,000 aides, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers, expanded hours so many part‑time employees can qualify for health benefits, rescission of planned layoffs for hundreds of IT technicians, and broadened health coverage for teacher assistants and other staff. District officials and the union said they will continue working to finalize contract language, and the agreement followed tentative contracts already reached with unions representing teachers and principals over the preceding weekend.

The settlement’s pay details have been reported in multiple ways: union and local outlets described major gains including protections against subcontracting and increased staffing, while local coverage and social posts offered more granular figures — retroactive raises for prior years, a $2‑an‑hour increase in 2024, and a boosted minimum hourly rate reported at about $22.52. Supporters on social media hailed the outcome as a historic win that raises average pay for many school workers, with some posts noting increases that would move typical annual earnings from roughly $25,000 toward the low‑to‑mid $30,000 range. Critics and commentators also weighed in online, with some arguing the district faces fiscal strain if pay increases are sustained; elected officials and advocates, meanwhile, publicly supported workers who had planned to strike.

Earlier coverage emphasized the immediacy and scale of the threat to schools — some reports warned that up to 85% of district workers were prepared to strike and that a repeat of last year’s action, when far fewer schools remained open, could close most campuses. Newer reporting shifted the focus to the terms of the agreements and the practical effects for students and staff, driven by outlets that confirmed the tentative deals and outlined the concessions. That shift from “schools may close” to “strike averted and detailed contract terms” gives parents, educators and city leaders clearer information about what the settlement would mean for staffing, pay and health coverage if ratified.