The Sacramento City Unified teacher's strike is entering day three of school closures for thousands of students in Sacramento.
Over 4,500 teachers and other staff members have been walking the picket line this week, demanding better pay and benefits along with more teachers to reduce the class sizes. Schools in the district will be closed until a deal is reached, which stands to take several more days of negotiations, impacting some 40,000 students and their parents
The SCTA and SEIU Local 1021 unions are demanding the Sacramento City Unified School District agree to a contract that provides accommodating wage increases to account for inflation, removes proposed changes to employee health care plans, and comes up with a proposal to resolve staffing shortages within the school districts. Teachers who are part of negotiations say the district has not been present for talks.
“They have not been showing up. We have been coming,” said New Joseph Bonnheim Elementary School teacher Becky Van Nest. “We’re open, we’re willing to bargain. We are showing up every day, we’re leaving our calendars open.”
The district’s current offer remains at including a 2% raise, a proposed health care plan for all employees, bonuses, and a raise for substitute teachers.