The Abridged version:
- Educators across Twin Rivers Unified are on strike Thursday, after over a year of negotiations hit an impasse. Union leaders say they will continue to be on the picket line until the district gives into their demands.
- Schools remain open, with substitutes in the classroom, but most preschools are closed. District officials said they have put a fair offer on the table and are calling for union leaders to return to bargaining.
- Parents continued dropping their students off at campuses Thursday but said they support the educators’ effort.
Teachers across Twin Rivers Unified were out of the classroom and on the picket line Thursday, for day one of the school district’s first-ever teacher strike.
Educators are demanding salary increases they say are long overdue, along with fully paid health care coverage and smaller class sizes.
The district, in a series of messages to families, has said they are protecting the district’s financial future with proposals for more modest raises.
As both sides dig their heels in and teachers gear up for a multi-day strike, schools remained open Thursday. District officials last month okayed a provision to hire substitutes for up to $600 a day during a work stoppage. Most preschools, however, were closed.
Union leaders have urged families to keep their kids at home to put additional pressure on the district. Some parents continued dropping their kids off Thursday morning, saying their students’ education comes first but that they support what the teachers are doing.
“I’m happy that they’re fighting for what they want,” said Mara Gutierrez, a parent of a student at Hazel Strauch Elementary School and an employee of Sacramento County. Last summer, county staff went on a one-day strike calling for increased wages. “I hope they do find a resolution soon, too,” she said Thursday.
Strike day one
About a dozen teachers, dressed in red and black T-shirts and holding bright yellow signs, stood in front of Strauch around 7 a.m. More picketers trickled in as the 7:45 a.m. first bell approached.
By the start of school, about 40 educators stood in front of the campus. Across the street at Rio Tierra Junior High School, a parallel crowd stood and chanted.
“No teachers today,” one picketer shouted.
Some cars passing by on Northstead Drive honked in support. Others pulled into the school entrance to drop off their students.
Many of the parents showed their support for the teachers, accepting union-made flyers and saying in passing, “You guys deserve a lot.”
“As far as my kid, it’s a small inconvenience for something bigger than all of us,” said Kou Vang, a Strauch parent. “I do feel like teachers are grossly underpaid and they need to do what they have to do to secure a future for themselves.”
Negotiations at a standstill
Nearby at Grant Union High School, union leaders from the district, state and national level gathered with about 100 picketers. A handful of teenage students joined the line.
Brittoni Ward, president of Twin Rivers United Educators, said negotiations are currently at a standstill.
“Feeling disheartened,” she said.
“We are willing and more than ready to meet at the table to bargain in good faith,” Ward added. “But it needs to be a good faith bargain proposal on their end for us to do that.”
She said they have not heard from the district since earlier this week, shortly after the release of a mediator’s report.
“To our teachers walking the picket line today: we see you, we respect you, and we want you back,” district spokesperson Zenobia Gerald said in a statement. “This dispute is not between the District and the dedicated educators who give everything to our students. It is between the District and TRUE’s leadership. Leadership that has not been willing negotiate a compromise.”
The district, in a statement Thursday, said they have put a fair offer on the table. Officials say their proposal is in line with the neutral arbitrator’s recommendations, including 100% health coverage through July 2027 (the end of this current contract).
“To our families, students, and parents whose mornings look different today: we are deeply sorry you are living through this,” the statement continued. “Every school in Twin Rivers Unified is open and operating. Our students will be cared for, supervised, and supported.”
Statewide striking
Twin Rivers Unified is the third California district to face a teacher strike this school year. And the local union is one of more than 30 who have coalesced in a statewide campaign dubbed “We Can’t Wait.”
The effort, spearheaded by the California Teachers Association, has fueled strikes and a dozen strike threats, including in Natomas and West Sacramento.
David Goldberg, president of the statewide education union, joined teachers at Grant Union High School Thursday. He, alongside National Education Association Vice President Princess Moss, helped rally the crowd.
“You’re showing an example for unions all across the state,” Goldberg said, “of what it means to stand up for each other as working people and for our students.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.