A teacher strike would hurt kids, but LAUSD can’t afford to give in to the union’s demands

One of the country’s largest teachers’ unions, the United Teachers Los Angeles, is threatening to strike if its latest over-the-top salary and staffing demands aren’t met. With half of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) 4th graders reading below the basic level, and just 25 percent proficient or advanced on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, a strike would be a disaster for kids.

But LAUSD has no choice but to hold firm against the union’s wish list, or risk making its already bad fiscal situation even worse.

The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) wants a 17% teacher pay hike over two years, class-size reductions, additional planning time, parental leave, and hundreds of new psychologists, social workers, and attendance counselors in the school district. They also want protection against future job losses to artificial intelligence and district subcontractors.

“We are fighting for economic security for educators and more resources for our schools and communities,” said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz.

But LAUSD rightly points out it is strapped for cash. The district is proposing an 8% salary bump over two years, plus a one-time 3% bonus for UTLA members, and raises for other unionized staff, such as cafeteria workers, instructional aides, and principals. Starting salaries for new teachers would rise to nearly $75,000, with the average teacher earning over $107,000 each year. This increase is on top of a recent agreement that puts the district on the hook for covering 100% of workers’ health care premiums through 2027, which costs LAUSD an average of $22,000 per employee. Teachers and other eligible employees won’t have to pay a dime, even as costs continue to go up for everyone else.

All told, under LAUSD’s proposal, the average teacher in the district would get nearly $152,000 in total compensation when salary and district contributions to retirement and health benefits are accounted for.

“We certainly recognize that the cost of living in Los Angeles continues to rise, and in response, we have committed to significant raises for our employees, among the highest offers in the state,” said acting LAUSD Superintendent Andrés E. Chait.

The union claims that LAUSD can afford even more, citing $1.1 billion in projected unrestricted reserves for fiscal year 2028. This sounds like a nice cushion, but most of those dollars have already been assigned for other uses. For example, $465 million of LAUSD’s unrestricted reserves in FY28 is assigned to its Workforce Stabilization reserve. LAUSD spends more than it gets each year and has set aside these dollars to help close its structural deficit.

Instead, the key figure to look at is the unassigned portion of unrestricted reserves, which LAUSD projects will plummet from $1.6 billion in FY26 to just $10 million in FY28—essentially nothing for a district of LAUSD’s size.

This changes the fiscal outlook drastically. Even if LAUSD had $1.1 billion to allocate flexibly, as UTLA claims, spending these dollars on new promises would be irresponsible.

UTLA’s demands shouldn’t be taken seriously. Teachers and other staff may deserve a raise, but spending money it doesn’t have will exacerbate LAUSD’s structural deficit, leading to further layoffs down the road. The latest enrollment and staffing data illustrate this point.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, LAUSD has lost about 75,000 students, 18% of its K-12 enrollment, due to demographic shifts and parents choosing public school alternatives, such as private and charter schools. Yet, despite losing 75,000 students, LAUSD’s staffing has been virtually flat, falling by only a few hundred employees from 2018-19 to 2024-25. That’s why LAUSD is projecting budget deficits of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2026, $1.5 billion in FY27, and $628 million in FY28. With enrollment plummeting and bloated staffing levels, the district is already on shaky financial footing and can’t sustain payroll without drawing down its reserves.

The bottom line is that LAUSD can’t afford the union’s demands. A lengthy teachers’ strike would harm students, but giving in to UTLA risks weakening the district’s ability to serve those students for years to come.

For their part, teachers and other union employees could come to regret whatever concessions UTLA manages to squeeze out of the district. LAUSD has already approved a plan to lay off 3,200 employees, and they’ll need to cut more if UTLA gets its way.

A version of this column first appeared in The Orange County Register and Southern California News Group newspapers.

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