More than 150 educators, district staff, parents and students rallied outside the Berkeley Unified School District’s regular Wednesday board meeting, calling on the district to settle stalled labor contracts with the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, or BFT.
BFT has been demanding higher salaries to counteract rising health care costs since last year.
Bargaining between the union and the district for a new contract began in March 2025, according to BFT’s website. While tentative agreements have been reached on some noneconomic issues, disagreement over proper compensation and health care benefits remain unresolved.
Currently, the district covers 56% of educator health care costs. BFT is pushing for 100% of its health care costs to be covered, citing rising costs in medical insurance.
Negotiations have been stalled since Nov. 20, 2025, when the union and the district declared a joint impasse.
“Health care has gone up double digits year over year. Our pay has not kept up with those increases, and we bear the burden of those increases,” said BFT President Matt Meyer. “What we need is a district to come to the table with real ideas about how our take-home pay can stop being reduced year after year.”
The conflict reached a head at Wednesday’s meeting, when protesters flooded into the room, chanting, “What do we want? Fair pay! When do we want it? Now!” and holding signs that read “Fighting for fair pay!” and “We can’t wait!”
Members from the other three employee unions in the district, which represent administrators, support staff and managerial staff, were also in attendance.
“We don’t just support our fellow unions. We stand in solidarity because their fight is our fight,” said Paula Phillips during public comment. Phillips is the co-Chair of the Berkeley School Administrator’s chapter of IFPTE Local 21, which represents managerial employees.
During the meeting, numerous teachers expressed concern that they may be forced to leave their district and the profession as a whole, citing financial strain as a driving force behind low teacher retention.
Caety Klingman, an English teacher at Berkeley Technology Academy, alleged that she makes less than almost any other teacher in the county.
“I have a master’s degree in teaching, and I make $50,000 less than the average Bay Area employee with a master’s degree,” Klingman said during public comment. “I love my students and the academic freedom the BUSD provides, but I honestly do not know if I can financially afford to stay in this district.”
According to Meyer, the union hopes to avoid a strike but warned that members are prepared to do so if the district cannot deliver concrete proposals that meet their demands.
As of press time, the district has not responded to requests for comment.
Meyer said a fact-finding hearing — in which an impartial third party works to settle disputes from both sides — is now necessary. The hearing is set to take place Feb. 20.