RICHMOND — After a multi-day strike in early December and days after landing a tentative agreement with West Contra Costa Unified School District, education and support staff are still left with uncertainty as they wait for district trustees to vote on a new contract.
Salary increases, better health care benefits, and a concerted effort to improve working conditions were among several conditions promised to about 3,000 district employees represented by two unions – United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters Local 856.
The agreement with United Teachers of Richmond was ratified by members during a weekend of voting. Union President Francisco Ortiz said 86% of members participated in the vote, with more than 92% of votes cast in support of the contract.
“That’s reassuring to know we have the support of our membership that wants to move forward,” Ortiz said. “We didn’t want it to get up to a strike but we were forced into it, and this is what we were able to achieve.”
Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a statement Tuesday that the district needs to submit the drafted agreements to the Contra Costa County Office of Education for review before district trustees can vote.
Teamsters Local 856 members will continue voting on their agreement through Wednesday, Cotton said.
“We deeply appreciate our teachers, our classified staff, our bargaining teams, and our Board of Education for their hard work and support in finding a successful resolution,” Cotton said. “We are committed to keeping our community informed as this work continues and as we move forward together.”
The timeline for a contract approval has sparked concerns for union members who previously thought trustees would vote during their meeting Wednesday. The agreements weren’t included on this week’s agenda and the next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026.
Fueling concerns is an uncertainty for how the district will handle docking pay for the days union members were on strike, Ortiz said. The union has asked that wages be reduced from the retroactive paychecks staff will receive instead of from January’s paystub following the holidays.
Union members knew the risks they were taking when they decided to strike, Ortiz said, but the action was necessary to fight for better working and learning conditions, and solutions exist to reduce hardship on district staff now, he argued.
“That would be a significant blow and would create an even bigger erosion of trust,” Ortiz said. “There are different levers that could be possibly worked through at the administrative level. Finding a solution would be a big win for the district and a step toward rebuilding that trust but also ensuring folks don’t go without means of paying bills.”
The district did not immediately respond to requests for comment on how they plan to handle the union’s request.
United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters Local 856 members launched parallel strikes on Dec. 4, following nearly 10 months of negotiations with the district.
Teamsters members called off their strike after two days, having landed on a tentative agreement with the district, though some continued to strike in solidarity with United Teachers of Richmond who picketed for an additional two days.
By the end of negotiations, the district and United Teachers of Richmond agreed to a 5% pay increase beginning retroactively on July 1, 2025, and a second pay increase on July 1, 2026. The district also agreed to gradually increase their contribution to health care benefits to 100% by June 2027.
Bonuses meant to attract and retain employees who graduated from the district and special education teachers were also included in the contract. Promises to improve workplace conditions, including school heating and cooling systems and spaces for supportive services, were also made.