Little Lake City School District teachers agree to tentative deal, ending 10-day strike
After just over a week on strike, teachers with the Little Lake City School District have tentatively agreed to a new deal.
The 10-day walkout began on April 16 after eight months of negotiations between district officials and Little Lake Education Association, the union representing the teachers. Union leaders said that the talks stalled as they were seeking better healthcare coverage, smaller class sizes and better student support services. At the time that the strike started, union officials said that the district imposed a cap on healthcare contributions, enforced pay cuts and proposed increasing class sizes.
"Educators fought to protect class sizes and won, after the district proposed raising them to the maximum allowed by California law. They also won additional support for Little Lakes' growing population of students with special education needs after the district had initially rejected the request," the LLEA statement said after the agreement was reached. "Additionally, educators also fought to lower their high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, since the district cut benefits in the middle of the year forcing educators to pay up to $1,400."
After a week of picketing, the district's superintendent, Jonathan Vasquez, stepped down from his position, expediting his pending retirement at the end of the school year. The new interim superintendent, Monica Johnson, was then approved during an emergency school board meeting, officials said. Union officials said that following a long bargaining session, three mothers stayed to try speaking with Johnson, but had the police called on them at the new superintendent's order.
The agreement was finally reached on Wednesday night, marking the third-longest teachers' strike in California since 1996. Teachers are expected to return to class on Thursday, April 30. They said that ratification would begin shortly after the tentative deal was finalized.
On Wednesday night, LLCSD officials shared a release noting the tentative agreement.
"Throughout this process, both sides remained committed to reaching a resolution—grounded in a shared understanding that students belong in classrooms, supported by the teachers and school communities they rely on every day," the statement said. "We recognize the impact this has had on students, families, teachers, staff, and the broader community, and we are grateful for the patience and resilience shown during this time."
They also said that the agreement shows meaningful progress and a renewed focus on restoring stability for students, supporting educators and getting them back into classrooms as quickly as possible. did not note specific details of the agreement and said that they would be shared after ratification by both parties.
LLEA officials said it was the first educators' strike in 150 years of the district. The union serves 200 members and 3,500 students, they said.
The district is headquartered in Santa Fe Springs and also serves students in Norwalk and a portion of Downey.
