LAUSD Unions Plan Joint Strike on April 14 if Talks Fail

Leaders of Los Angeles Unified School District's two largest labor unions announced Wednesday that they will launch a joint strike on April 14 if contract negotiations fail to produce agreements, a move that could close schools across the nation's second-largest public school system and disrupt education for nearly 400,000 students.

The announcement came during a rally attended by thousands in Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles, where representatives from United Teachers Los Angeles, Service Employees International Union Local 99 and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles gathered to highlight stalled talks. United Teachers Los Angeles represents more than 30,000 educators, including teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians, while Local 99 covers over 30,000 support staff such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and teacher aides. The administrators' group, which includes about 3,000 principals and managers, joined the event for the first time in such a large joint action.

Union officials described the potential open-ended work stoppage as a last resort after more than a year of negotiations. Teachers have operated without a contract since June...