Striking Twin Rivers teachers urged to ‘hold the line’ as labor impasse reaches 12th day
Parents and striking Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers gathered outside the district’s offices Friday at McClellan Park, staging loud protests as a labor impasse entered another day with no resolution in sight.
Crowds numbering in the hundreds assembled outside the district’s Dudley Boulevard offices as early as 7:30 a.m., spurred by a blaring brass band, 1980s-era rock anthems and fiery calls to “hold the line,” as speakers accused district leaders of stonewalling efforts toward a new contract. The labor walkout — the first in the history of the northern Sacramento-area schools that consolidated into Twin Rivers in 2007 — entered its 12th day of instruction Friday.
Today, 25,000 students are enrolled in Twin Rivers Unified School District campuses in North Sacramento, Del Paso Heights, Rio Linda, North Highlands and Elverta.
“Do they think they can wait us out? Hell, no. Are they afraid of us? They are afraid of our power and afraid that our community is united,” said Twin Rivers United Educators, or TRUE, president Amy Sept, an intervention specialist at the district’s Woodlake Elementary and Smythe Middle schools, speaking from a truck bed used as a stage in front of the district offices.
“This strike is changing the balance of power in this district in our district and we will never go back to the status quo,” Sept said. “We will win. Hold the line.”
For 12 school days — since March 5 — striking teachers, staff and paraeducators remained off the job, supported by Twin Rivers parents and families who gathered and marched outside district offices into Friday afternoon. Demonstrations Friday followed a day after striking Natomas Unified School District educators returned to work after marathon talks with district negotiators produced a tentative agreement.
“We want to be heard. We’re here to support them until we can’t be here no more,” said parent Jacky Reyes outside the offices. Reyes is a product of Twin Rivers and her five children attend district schools. “We have a lot of support, but it’s also very frustrating. The district is not listening. They want to compare themselves to Natomas, but they’re not doing what Natomas did” to reach an agreement, Reyes said.
Striking teachers and their leaders said they sought reduced class sizes and relief from rising health care costs, and argued district negotiators were stalling on a potential compromise offered by Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, to end the strike.
District representatives pushed back with their own rapid response campaign, sending the message that they remain ready to work toward a deal with their striking employees.
Twin Rivers officials said the Natomas deal was a tentative agreement that caps benefits, with any costs above the capped amount paid by employees, calling Natomas’ plan “a common and fiscally responsible approach that supports long-term sustainability.”
Twin Rivers officials said Natomas has 7,000 fewer students than Twin Rivers’ 25,000 pupils and a pact that would run three years instead of Twin Rivers’ two, arguing that their proposal to educators “remains strong and competitive.”
District bargainers at their last session Wednesday “presented a formal proposal that is fair, responsible, and supportive of both our educators and our students,” district officials said in a Friday update on negotiations, adding that union negotiators had not formally responded and that the district was awaiting a counterproposal.
“We are ready to return to the table at any time. This pause matters. The longer there is no response, the longer the uncertainty continues for our employees, families, and the students we serve,” said Zenobia Gerald, a district spokeswoman, in the update. “Our focus is simple: move forward and reach an agreement. The District is bargaining in good faith, has put forward a fair proposal, and is ready to continue as soon as TRUE leadership engages.”
.JPG)