WE DID IT: Tentative Agreement Reached

Finally, after a 12 hour negotiations session, 10 long months at the bargaining table, a historic first-ever strike, UTR has reached a deal with WCCUSD. We are proud to announce a tentative agreement that honors the immense sacrifices of our teachers, students, and parents. 

Through our unbreakable solidarity, we forced WCCUSD to FIGURE IT OUT! 

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This fight was not just about our contract; it was a battle for the future of public education. At a time when there are ongoing attacks on our profession and our communities, we stood strong in the face of adversity because we refuse to let our students suffer in under-resourced classrooms. 

It was OUR COLLECTIVE POWER that forced the District back to the table and paved the way for an agreement that lays a foundation for the safe and stable schools our students deserve.

We know our work is not done. While we didn't win everything we deserved, this strike allowed us to imagine our classrooms as they truly should be with staffing levels high enough to give every student the attention they need.

But we cannot achieve lower class sizes in reality while 71 classrooms sit empty. By forcing WCCUSD to invest in wages and healthcare, we can finally end the decades-long staffing crisis. On this foundation we’ve built today - we can fight for and win - the smaller class sizes we deserve tomorrow. 

Together, we achieved huge wins like fully funded family healthcare and improved wages that will attract and retain the dedicated and qualified teachers our students deserve. 

The struggle and solidarity of our union laid this foundation. And we can and must continue to build upon it. 

Below is an overview of some of the important progress we’ve made in this tentative agreement: 

• An 8% wage increase over two years for all of our educators.
• 100% fully paid family healthcare by June 30, 2027.
• An increase to our SPED educators’ salary schedule intended to end the District’s reliance on independent contractors and hire permanent in-person educators to support our most vulnerable students.
• Retention bonuses paid out after three years of employment to newly hired educators who are also graduates of WCCUSD. This bonus will build  stability  in our classrooms by building capacity from within. 
• Retention bonuses to attract and retain new special education (SPED) teachers into our special education department and stabilize our SPED programming.
• International Academy Class size cap of 25 students
• Protections for our international teachers that include district sponsored pathways to permanent residency for educators who obtain clear credentials, as well as support for newly arrived educators. 
• Commitments to safe classrooms that ensure adequate space for our special education teachers and their students, appropriate and safe temperature control (range of 68-76 degrees) in new modernization projects and a roadmap to improvements in existing facilities.

Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment.  

Once we ratify this agreement, we must use our collective power to align district staff and board members with our community’s vision for education justice in WCCUSD, and make it a reality. 

This strike made it clear that our community is fed up with elected and appointed leadership who do not listen to their communities, and who year after year fail to prioritize our students. 

The next stage in our fight will require us to join forces with working people across our state as we organize and demand the full funding our schools and students deserve, and we are ready to continue that fight.