Strike ends: Teachers agree to tentative deal with 8% wage increase
on December 10, 2025
After a 12-hour bargaining session Tuesday, United Teachers of Richmond reached a tentative agreement early Wednesday with the West Contra Costa Unified School District, ending a weeklong strike.
Teachers will return to the classroom on Thursday.
Union President Francisco Ortiz said in a news release that the agreement “lays a foundation for the safe and stable schools our students deserve.”
The next step is for the union to take the contract to its members for a vote, ratifying it.
According to the news release, the teachers agreed to an 8% wage increase over two years. The union had fought for a 10% increase, and the district at first offered no increase before raising that to 3%. The teachers also fought for the district to cover 100% of their health care premiums, up from the current 80%, which the district agreed to do by June 30, 2027.
The agreement calls for the district to hire more special education teachers and rely less on independent contractors. To attract and retain special education teachers, the district agreed to retention bonuses. It also agreed to pay bonuses to WCCUSD alum who teach in the district for three years. For international teachers, the district agreed to do more to support newly arrived teachers and those seeking a pathway to permanent residency.
“We know our work is not done,” Ortiz said in the release. “While we didn’t win everything we deserved, this strike allowed us to imagine our classrooms as they truly should be with staffing levels high enough to give every student the attention they need.”
Among the unresolved issues is classroom size. Ortiz said 71 WCCUSD classes are without permanent teachers, an issue that needs resolution before classroom sizes can be addressed.
On Sunday, the district reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters, which represents much of the support staff. The district had an earlier agreement with the Teamsters, but members voted against it after teachers announced plans to strike.
Superintendent Cheryl Cotton has said that the district, which is trying to stave off state takeover, does not have the money to meet the teachers’ salary and benefits demands.
Schools have remained open over the course of the strike.
(Top photo of striking teachers by Xavier Zamora)
UPDATE: WCCUSD teachers and Teamsters return to the bargaining table during strike
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