Samwise Greater LA Area Newsletter
Friday, April 10, 2026
LAUSD Strike Could Shut Down Schools for 400,000 Students Next Week
Los Angeles Unified School District is days away from a potentially open-ended strike that would close schools for roughly 400,000 students starting April 14. Three unions — United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles — have announced a joint walkout, the first time all three have struck together. Collectively representing about 68,000 employees, the unions cite pay, benefits and school conditions after more than a year of stalled negotiations. UTLA is seeking a 17% raise over two years; SEIU Local 99 members, who average $35,000 annually, want 30% over three years. Acting Superintendent Andres Chait says LAUSD will keep negotiating.
Source: LAist
LA28 CEO Defends Olympic Ticket Prices as Angelenos Cry Foul
LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover pushed back Wednesday against mounting complaints over 2028 Olympic ticket prices, insisting the average ticket is under $200 and calling that “accessible.” Many Angelenos found themselves locked out of the locals-only presale after the cheapest $28 seats — subject to a 24% service fee — sold out quickly. Tickets for marquee events reach $5,500. LA28 had promised more than one million $28 tickets but declined to specify how many remain for later drops. Hoover also declined to rule out dynamic pricing in subsequent rounds of sales, a move that could push prices even higher before the 2028 Games arrive.
Source: LAist
City Officials Consider ‘Mansion Tax’ Changes, but Critics Say Fixes Don’t Go Far Enough
City leaders are weighing changes to Los Angeles’s controversial Measure ULA — the “mansion tax” on property sales over $5.3 million — but housing advocates say the proposed fixes fall well short of what the policy needs. A Housing Department report recommends four “narrowly focused” changes aimed at unlocking affordable housing loans that lenders say current rules make difficult to close. Critics including USC adjunct professor Mott Smith argue the report amounts to an admission that the tax is not working as designed. Since taking effect, ULA has raised more than $1 billion but funded construction of only about 800 homes against an original ten-year target of 26,000.
Source: LAist