Sacramento-area teachers unions warn of potential strikes over pay and conditions
Sacramento-area educators are poised to strike if their demands for higher compensation and improved working conditions are not met soon.
Five teachers unions from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland and Rocklin have reached an impasse with their respective school districts after the parties failed to reach a labor agreement. Amid fact-finding and mediation sessions, the groups are making it clear to their employers that they are ready to walk out of the classroom if needed, joining a statewide California Teachers Association campaign to improve teacher pay and classroom conditions.
“We are absolutely strike ready,” said Brittoni Ward, President of Twin Rivers United Educators . “Obviously we’re not strike-happy, but we will do so if necessary.”
Teachers at Natomas Unified, Twin Rivers Unified, Rocklin Unified, Woodland Joint Unified and Washington Unified School Districts are banding together with similar demands: improve teacher compensation, invest more in healthcare benefits and reduce classroom sizes. Union leaders say that not only would this improve the lives of their members, but ultimately benefit students by reducing teacher turnover.
“We’re asking for safe and stable schools and keeping educators in the district, that’s really what we’re asking for,” President of Natomas Teachers Association Nico Vaccaro said.
As California schools face worsening economic conditions, many districts are bolstering their reserves to stave off deficits.
“Given recent and forecasted state budget deficits, it is critical we remain responsible stewards of resources,” Natomas Unified Superintendent Robyn Castillo said. “We maintain a district reserve policy that is designed to safeguard programs and staffing during times of economic uncertainty, which allows us to plan responsibly for the future.”
A spokesperson at Woodland Joint Unified echoed a similar sentiment, saying that the district “understands the importance of remaining competitive while also responsibly maintaining the long-term fiscal stability of our schools and programs.”
Rebecca Bernard, President of Woodland Education Association, says that talk of saving for a rainy day is a deflection.
“The rain is happening now, we’re in the storm and you’re not patching the roof,” she said.
Teachers seek better pay to prevent turnover
Teachers at these districts say that low compensation relative to the cost of living and the salaries offered at a larger urban district like Sacramento City Unified School District are causing workers to leave for better conditions.
Healthcare is a big sticking point, union leaders say. Ward said that Twin Rivers loses a lot of teachers to Sacramento City Unified where they are offered fully paid benefits, and that a number of educators are prepared to leave if they don’t achieve better healthcare benefits in their contract.
“Our members that have families are paying an average of $1,600 a month, up to $2,000,” Ward said. “It’s outrageous — that’s essentially a mortgage.”
Vaccaro said that they lost more than 60 of their 670 unit members in the summer of 2025.
Douglas Knepp of West Sacramento Teachers Association said that although they are not seeking full benefits to be covered, they are trying to improve employer contribution in their district so that teachers don’t cross the river to get fully covered health insurance, which could represent up to $17,000 a year for teachers with families, not to mention up to $20,000 more in salary.
How would improving teacher pay help students? Stability, teachers unions argue.
Teacher turnover is a big deal, experts say. It negatively affects student achievement and is quite expensive for school districts, research shows. According to the University of Massachusetts Global, teacher turnover results in a large number of inexperienced teachers being placed in classrooms, meaning more money is put toward recruiting, hiring and training. It can also impact the school culture, with higher rates of student disciplinary actions like suspensions.
The schools with the highest need students in Washington Unified have seen the most turnover, Knepp said.
“These schools end up becoming a lazy Susan of new educators and then there’s no stability for those kids who really need it the most,” he said. “They deserve to have consistency and quality in their educators.”
To pay for these demands, union leaders are calling on districts to reduce the amount of money districts spend on third party contractors to spend money on things like professional development.
“We need to be putting today’s dollars towards today’s kids,” Knepp said.
District leaders interviewed for this story said that they are seeking to reach agreements with their labor partners before it comes to a strike.
“While we had hoped to reach an agreement with Twin Rivers United Educators sooner, we remain optimistic that a resolution can be achieved that supports educators, students, and the long-term financial stability of the district,” district spokesperson Zenobia Gerald said.
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
