LAUSD union employees rally on March 18 amid layoff notices and contract negotiation

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is nearing a potential strike as unions push back against planned layoffs, insufficient raises and staffing shortages amid contract negotiations that have stretched on for more than a year, according to union representatives.

Negotiations between the LAUSD and its largest unions have stalled, with both Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) warning that a strike could be next if an agreement is not reached.

Workers, represented by SEIU Local 99 and UTLA, are set to rally March 18, said Santos Robles, a bargaining team member for Local 99 and an information technology (IT) solutions technician with the district. He said more than 200 IT workers recently received layoff notices.

Robles said IT workers play a critical role in maintaining the technology used daily by students, teachers and staff across campuses.

“If you cut more than 200 IT workers, you’re not just cutting jobs — you’re cutting services to students,” Robles said in an interview with CALO News. “We’re going from covering two to five schools to potentially seven to nine, and that means longer wait times and lost instructional time.”

Robles also challenged the district’s claims of budget constraints, arguing that funds are available but not being directed toward staffing. Union leaders with UTLA say the district’s reserves exceed state requirements.

In a statement, UTLA said the district has committed billions to outside contractors while maintaining roughly $5 billion in reserves. “We know the district has the money to go farther — it’s just a matter of priorities,” the union stated in a press release.

According to LAUSD, the district is facing major budget shortfalls, which has led to the layoff notices. These notices were sent out on March 15, but district officials will determine who is cut between May and June, with the last day of work for those employees being June 30, 2026. 

The layoffs could impact hundreds of families across the district, many of whom already face high living costs.

“We have members who are already struggling to get by, and layoffs will only make that worse. These are families trying to survive in an expensive city, and this puts them in an even more difficult position,” said Robles.