About 200 Berkeley educators, students and community members marched from the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park to the school district’s board meeting Wednesday evening to show support for the teachers union as contract negotiations reach a head.
The rally took place just days before a hearing between the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and Berkeley Unified School District on Friday. Union members and supporters, carrying signs as they marched alongside a small band, gathered downtown before heading to the BUSD board chambers.
The group’s chants were punctuated by car horns and cheering as protesters made their way down University Avenue.Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii was in attendance alongside district families and members of theBerkeley Council of Classified Employees, the union that represents over 600 nonteaching district staff.
“I am here to fight for the schools that these guys deserve, which means full staffing … fair pay, and stable schools for (students) so that teachers can build a career in the communities that they serve,” said Berkeley High School teacher John Becker, who was present at the rally alongside his two daughters.
Contract negotiations between the district and BFT have been ongoing since March 2025, according to the union’s website. Negotiations reached an impasse in November, which triggered a legal timeline in which both parties worked toward mediation and fact finding in preparation for the hearing. Since negotiations began, BFT has been steadfast in its demands for higher salaries and improved health care benefits.
The rally marks a final push for the union’s contract demands before a neutral third party is tasked with mediating negotiations at the fact-finding hearing Friday.
At the hearing, the two parties will present their cases to a panel consisting of district and BFT representatives and a neutral third-party representative. If the two parties do not reach an agreement after the hearing, the union is legally authorized to go on strike with a 48 hour notice.
BFT president Matt Meyer said the district has until early March before the teachers union would consider going on strike,though he said educators hope to avoid that outcome.
The march ended around 6:30 p.m. at BUSD’s meeting chambers, where board members were engaged in a closed session ahead of their regularly scheduled school board meeting.Members of the board did not acknowledge the union’s contract negotiations or the hearing during open session.
Meyer emphasized that he believes teachers should be fairly compensated to improve retention and continue to meet students’ needs.
“Our members are strike-ready … they are willing and able to strike if the district puts us in that position, but we’re really hoping that that doesn’t happen, and that we can get to an agreement that everybody can support,” Meyer said.
Cleo Topp contributed to this report.