The looming question on whether or not schools would shut down as over 60,000 LAUSD staff threaten to go on strike has been answered—schools stayed open as the last union of three reached an agreement with LAUSD in the late hours of the night on April 14.
LAUSD averted a strike as they came to an agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 at around 2:52 A.M. on the day that the strike was set to happen, and prior to that, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA).
Universally, all three of the unions received a minimum of an 8 percent boost in salary, with some individuals getting promised upwards of 20 percent, which will be implemented over the span of 2-3 years.
Unions were also guaranteed protection from AI implementations, meaning that teacher positions will be more secured while also protecting students and employees from their information being monitored by artificial intelligence.
Students expressed discontent with a sudden agreement being reached as many anticipated a day off, especially as the school year comes to an end and exam season approaches.
AMPA Sophomore Reign D’Angora, when asked with how the strike being called off affected them, said, “I don’t feel like we’re given enough time to work on things in class often and I struggle with writing quickly, so I was planning on using the strike as time to study and get some work done, so it was kind of unfortunate that I didn’t get the time.”
Additionally, AMPA Sophomore Wyatt Barkley Rusk mentioned that he had to readjust his plans because of the late notice cancellation of the strike. “I was gonna work at Coachella because they said the strike would last three or four days,” he said, “but when it got canceled, it was pretty annoying because I had to rearrange my whole schedule.”
However, as disappointed as students may be, the tentative agreements have spelled a well-needed victory to LAUSD employees for their diligent work in keeping school systems operational.
So with the threat of union strikes being defused at the last minute, the rest of the school year is set to go by normally.
Amen Abdullah contributed reporting to this article.
