Teachers Ratify, Board Will Wait
- Livable El Cerrito
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
This story was revised late Dec. 16 to add new information.
After a four-school-day strike that ended Dec. 10, teachers represented by the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) ratified a tentative agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). However, that agreement will not be immediately placed on the school board’s agenda for approval.
“Unfortunately, it is not possible to put the tentative agreements on Wednesday's agenda for ratification,” WCCUSD Board President Leslie Reckler said in an email late Tuesday. “There is a legal process that must be followed.”
“First, a "Form of Public Disclosure of the Proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement" must be prepared,” Reckler wrote. “This document discloses the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the fiscal impact of the agreement and how the school district intends to pay for it.”
Reckler said the required information about tentative agreements with UTR and the Teamsters must be submitted to Contra Costa County Superintendent Lynn Mackey before a ratification vote is scheduled for the WCCUSD school board.
“Due to this legally required process, the item will not be agendized until January 2026 at the earliest, as the ratification vote by the unit just occurred,” Reckler said.
Review at County Level
Reckler said review by the county superintendent is a legal requirement because of the district's “qualified” status, which means it might not be able to meet its financial obligations for the current year and two subsequent years. The district self-reported that status for the most recent reporting period.
Reckler pointed Livable El Cerrito to a government code section which states:
“The county superintendent shall notify the school district, the county board of education, the district superintendent, the governing board of the school district, and each parent and teacher organization of the district within those 10 days if, in his or her opinion, the agreement would endanger the fiscal well-being of the school district.”
Michael Fine, CEO of the statewide Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), confirmed that WCCUSD must disclose information about the terms and costs of the agreements to the county superintendent and allow ten days for review because of the district's “qualified” status. School districts make the self-determinations of their status based on 26 pages of state-adopted criteria, he said.
Fine said he expects that after reviewing the agreements, the county superintendent will write the district a letter. For instance, she might agree that all necessary data has been provided, or state a desire for more information. he said.
No Power to Stop the Agreements
The county superintendent does not have the power to stop the agreements, Fine said.
For the superintendent to have that power, WCCUSD would have had to progress through an intervention process, Fine said. That has happened in the past but it is not the district’s current status.
Fine said FCMAT has no direct role in the process but provides training in California on how to do this type of review.
Historic Strike Succeeded
UTR President Francisco Ortiz said earlier Tuesday in an email:
“We just came out of a historic strike that proved something powerful: When educators, families, students, and the community stand together, we are unstoppable.”
Ortiz thanked three of five school board members for being a “progressive, student-centered Board majority (that) stepped up and directed District executive leadership to present a proposal to end the strike and restore stability to our schools.”
“If this decision had been left solely to WCCUSD executive staff leadership, our members would likely still be on the picket lines—and students would still be without their educators.”
Thanks to 3 Board Members
“We extend our sincere appreciation to Board Clerk Guadalupe Enllana and Trustees Cinthia Hernandez and Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy for standing with students, educators, and the broader WCCUSD community,” Ortiz wrote.
UTR membership ratified the tentative agreement with yes votes from 92.6% of those who voted. Of the total ballots cast, 1,143 members voted yes and 91 voted no.
Teamsters Local 856 is expected to finish voting on its new tentative agreement Wednesday.
‘Stay Vigilant and Engaged’
UTR’s Ortiz also wrote that the union must stay “vigilant and engaged” as the hard-won agreement moves into the implementation phase.
In negotiations with teachers starting in February 2025, the district under Interim Superintendent Kim Moses offered 0% raises, saying the district could not afford to pay employees more.
In October, the district offered 2%. After a state-mandated impasse process, a factfinder’s report in November recommended that the district offer teachers 6% over two years. The district made a last-minute offer of a 3% raise that incorporated some of the factfinder’s other recommendations. Teachers rejected the offer and went on strike Dec. 5.
The tentative agreement that was finally reached is an 8% salary increase over two years with 100% district-paid family health care by June 30, 2027. Many other issues were also addressed.
Making Changes
All parties agreed that implementing the new tentative agreement would require changes in how the district spends money in order to prioritize teachers and other district employees.
Superintendent Cotton did not attend any of the negotiating sessions with UTR during the strike. Instead, the district was represented by Moses, the former interim superintendent and current chief business officer.
Superintendent Outlines Process
In her news release today (Dec. 16), Cotton said, “Upon ratification by the board, the implementation timelines are ratified, and the scheduling of board action to make the necessary budget adjustments to support these commitments will occur.”
“In the coming weeks, we will also work closely with our school leaders, Human Resources team, and labor partners to ensure a smooth implementation of the new stipends, benefit enhancements, and program supports. The Board of Education's formal action to approve the agreement at an upcoming meeting will allow staff to begin integrating these changes into our long-term fiscal planning.”
“We are committed to keeping our community informed as this work continues and as we move forward together,” Cotton said.
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