Teachers in West Contra Costa Costa Unified plan to strike

Teachers in West Contra Costa Unified plan to strike

Teachers in West Contra Costa Unified plan to strike.

RICHMOND, Calif. - About 3,00 teachers and other staff in the West Contra Costa Unified School District are preparing to go on strike Thursday after contract negotiations between the district and the educators’ union reached a standstill.

District administrators said schools will remain open if the strike begins. Students will continue to have access to meals, transportation services and campus supervision, officials said, though many teachers may not be in their classrooms.

United Teachers of Richmond, which represents about 1,500 educators, said talks over a new contract broke down this week. Union members spent Wednesday preparing picket signs ahead of the planned walkout. There is also the Teamsters union, which includes clerical, food service, maintenance, paraprofessional and security workers in the district. 

At the center of the dispute is pay. 

The union is seeking a 5% salary increase, while the district has offered 3%, the amount recommended by a state-appointed mediator. 

District leaders say they are facing a $17 million budget deficit. The union argues teachers are underpaid compared with nearby districts and that the district can afford to prioritize salaries.

"The resources exist to pay a living wage," the union said in a statement. "The only missing thing is the will to do it."

Superintendent Cheryl Cotton addressed the looming strike in a message posted on the district’s website, citing budget constraints and noting that compensation increases would add strain to district finances.

Families who choose not to send their children to school during the strike can sign up for independent study to avoid unexcused absences, the district said.

As of early Wednesday, neither side had announced any changes in negotiations, and the union said the strike will proceed as planned.