Educators’ union in Bay Area school district wins big for students after strike

In December, educators and support staff in a Bay Area school district went on strike for the first time in district history, citing expenditures to outside contractors as one of the reasons for the strike. After ten months of negotiations and several days on strike, United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) reached an agreement with WCCUSD, winning an eight percent pay increase for teachers over two years, fully-funded family healthcare, retention bonuses, protections for teachers on H1-B visas, and more. The new contract will increase special education staff salaries and introduce bonuses, as well as ensure sufficient space for special education classrooms.

A December 10 email from the UTR President, Francisco Ortiz, also touted a number of highlights in the tentative agreement, including: “An increase to our SPED educators’ salary schedule intended to end the District’s reliance on independent contractors and hire permanent in-person educators to support our most vulnerable students. . . . [and] Commitments to safe classrooms that ensure adequate space for our special education teachers and their students, appropriate and safe temperature control (range of 68-76 degrees) in new modernization projects and a roadmap to improvements in existing facilities.”

A PESP review of expenditures revealed that West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) doubled its spending on vendors in five years. In 2024-2025, the district spent $117 million on contractors, representing an astounding 23% of district spending. District employees on strike argued that the money given to independent contractors could be better used to increase wages and hire more staff.  

Special education was a significant issue in the contract fight. Special education support provided by private equity contractors in the district include paraeducation, speech language pathology, physical therapy, and school psychology. Of the $117 million in outside contracts last school year, more than $14 million went to three private equity-owned contractors to provide services for students with disabilities: The Stepping Stones Group (owned by Leonard Green & Partners), ProCare and Sunbelt Staffing (both owned by Vistria Group). 

Notably, had this work been done by employees of WCCUSD rather than outsourced, the district would have saved nearly six million dollars of taxpayer money. With those funds, the district could have afforded over 200 permanent Special Education employees, who would have provided students with 40 more classroom hours per student and the stability, personalized attention, and experience that is afforded by in-house educators. These extravagant expenditures have led to a district budget that does not prioritize permanent in-house staffing, and results in a lack of support for WCCUSD students. 

Facing extreme understaffing, many students have been left without permanent teachers and at times had to use online platforms to connect with specialists. In November, UTR announced a unanimous vote of no confidence in Special Education Director Guthrie Fleischman. The vote reflects the union’s “collective professional judgment that new leadership is urgently required to rebuild trust, restore stability and fulfill our district’s legal and moral obligations to students with disabilities.” Parents had repeatedly presented the school board with concerns, many of which have not been fully addressed, but the new union agreement seeks to remedy these concerns. 

Privatization in schools is an ongoing issue that weakens schools, introducing profit motives to spaces that should prioritize student wellbeing over all else. The practice also impacts staff unions and public pension funds as district positions are filled by private sector workers. With a stronger contract, the district takes a significant step towards attracting more permanent employees to fill vacant positions, retain current staff, and provide a better learning environment for students.