On Thursday, September 24, we came together for our AALA/Teamsters Fall Social at the Huffington at Saint Sophia. It was an incredible evening, with a full house of more than 300 Brothers and Sisters, along with our Board Members and Senior Leadership.
Our theme this year was:
We Are One, Together Stronger
But what does that really mean?
It means that our strength comes from each other.
“We Are One” reflects who we are becoming as AALA and Teamsters Local 2010 — one organization, one collective voice, and one community of administrators committed to supporting one another. While each of us may serve in different schools, positions, and communities, we share many of the same challenges, responsibilities, and aspirations.
“Together Stronger” reminds us that we have greater power when we stand together. When we listen to one another, share our experiences, identify common concerns, and work collectively toward solutions, we can create meaningful change.
Celebrating Our Members
The Fall Social was an opportunity to pause and celebrate.
We celebrated our victories. We celebrated the work our members do every day. And we celebrated the future we are building together.
We were also honored to receive special greetings of gratitude from LAUSD Superintendent Andres Chait, who took the time to recognize and thank our members for the important work they do on behalf of students, families, and schools across Los Angeles.
To everyone who attended — thank you.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for being part of our union community. And thank you for celebrating not only what we have accomplished, but also where we are headed.
There is much more work ahead, and we are moving forward together.
Listening to Our Members: A More Personalized Approach
One of our priorities this year as a union is simple but important:
We want to know our members intimately.
We want to understand your concerns, your experiences, and the issues that affect you in your specific role and school community.
A one-size-fits-all approach does not always work when our members have different responsibilities, different working environments, and different challenges.
That is why I am beginning a series of Town Hall meetings designed to give members an opportunity to speak directly about their experiences and concerns.
These conversations will help us better differentiate issues, identify common themes, and develop a more personalized approach to advocacy and problem-solving.
Our First Town Hall: Early Education
On September 30, 2026, we held our first Town Hall with our Early Education members at Casa Italiana.
Our principals came together in high numbers to review the results of our member survey and, more importantly, to discuss the concerns identified by our members.
The conversation was about more than identifying problems.
We began discussing solutions.
This is the kind of member engagement we want to continue building — listening directly to our members, understanding the challenges they face, and bringing those concerns to the table with the goal of finding practical solutions. See survey results HERE
Working Together Through the CBA: Early Education Sideletter
As part of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), LAUSD and AALA/Teamsters agreed to a sideletter addressing concerns related to Early Education.
Under that agreement, a committee representing both parties will meet toward the end of October to review the concerns identified through our member survey and discuss potential solutions.
This is an important next step because the concerns raised by our members are now becoming part of a formal process for discussion between AALA/Teamsters and LAUSD.
In addition, LAUSD will be conducting a job study.
Ninety days after the completion of that study, the parties will meet and confer to review the results and discuss next steps.
Our commitment is to remain engaged throughout this process and to continue bringing the voices and experiences of our members to the table. See sideletter HERE
Stipend Update: Single-Site Administrators & Tier 3 Schools
I also want to provide an update regarding the stipends for Single-Site Administrators and Tier 3 Schools.
In our previous newsletter, we shared that we expected these stipend payments to be issued on October 5, 2026.
Today, I was informed by Labor Relations that Stipends will be paid on November 5, 20026, the next pay cycle. Thank you for your feedback and patience regarding stipends not appearing in this paycheck.
We understand how important it is for our members to have clear and timely information regarding these payments. We will continue to communicate updates if anything changes.
Moving Forward — Together
Our Fall Social gave us an opportunity to celebrate where we have been.
Our Town Halls and ongoing work with LAUSD are about where we are going.
The path forward is about engagement, communication, advocacy, and unity.
It means creating more opportunities for members to be heard. It means understanding concerns at the school and individual level. It means taking those concerns to the appropriate tables and working toward solutions.
And it means continuing our journey with full affiliation as AALA/Teamsters Local 2010.
We may work in different schools and serve different communities, but we are connected by a shared commitment to our members, our profession, and the students we serve.
Thank you for your continued trust, your participation, and your commitment to our union.
In solidarity,
Maria Nichols,
AALA/Teamster Local 2010 President
meetingsmeetinaHRlLXN0b3J5LXRvLXJlYWQtdG9kYXkmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9MjAyNjEwMDUmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmbGN0Zz02NTk1OTQzMDgwZTdiOTkzM2IwYzNhMmU/6595943080e7b9933b0c3a2eBeb4d8d1c gs designed to give members an opportunity to speak directly about their experiences and concerns.
These conversations will help us better differentiate issues, identify common themes, and develop a more personalized approach to advocacy and problem-solving.
Our First Town Hall: Early Education
On September 30, 2026, we held our first Town Hall with our Early Education members at Casa Italiana.
Our principals came together in high numbers to review the results of our member survey and, more importantly, to discuss the concerns identified by our members.
The conversation was about more than identifying problems.
We began discussing solutions.
This is the kind of member engagement we want to continue building — listening directly to our members, understanding the challenges they face, and bringing those concerns to the table with the goal of finding practical solutions.
[LINK: Early Education Survey Results]
Working Together Through the CBA: Early Education Sideletter
As part of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), LAUSD and AALA/Teamsters agreed to a sideletter addressing concerns related to Early Education.
Under that agreement, a committee representing both parties will meet toward the end of October to review the concerns identified through our member survey and discuss potential solutions.
This is an important next step because the concerns raised by our members are now becoming part of a formal process for discussion between AALA/Teamsters and LAUSD.
In addition, LAUSD will be conducting a job study.
Ninety days after the completion of that study, the parties will meet and confer to review the results and discuss next steps.
Our commitment is to remain engaged throughout this process and to continue bringing the voices and experiences of our members to the table.
[LINK: Early Education Sideletter]
Stipend Update: Single-Site Administrators & Tier 3 Schools
I also want to provide an update regarding the stipends for Single-Site Administrators and Tier 3 Schools.
In our previous newsletter, we shared that we expected these stipend payments to be issued on October 5, 2026.
Today, I was informed by Labor Relations that Stipends will be paid on November 5, 20026, the next pay cycle. Thank you for your feedback and patience regarding stipends not appearing in this paycheck.
We understand how important it is for our members to have clear and timely information regarding these payments. We will continue to communicate updates if anything changes.
Moving Forward — Together
Our Fall Social gave us an opportunity to celebrate where we have been.
Our Town Halls and ongoing work with LAUSD are about where we are going.
The path forward is about engagement, communication, advocacy, and unity.
It means creating more opportunities for members to be heard. It means understanding concerns at the school and individual level. It means taking those concerns to the appropriate tables and working toward solutions.
And it means continuing our journey with full affiliation as AALA/Teamsters Local 2010.
We may work in different schools and serve different communities, but we are connected by a shared commitment to our members, our profession, and the students we serve.
Thank you for your continued trust, your participation, and your commitment to our union.
In solidarity,
Maria Nichols, AALA/Teamster Local 2010 President
