The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and BUSD families marched from Civic Center Park to the district’s headquarters on Feb. 18, demanding better pay and benefits. Credit: Kelly Sullivan for Berkeleyside 

Berkeley Unified teachers union members on Friday voted in favor by a large margin to approve a new two-year contract and avoid a strike, as school districts across California continue to grapple with fiscal turmoil and labor actions.

The contract, which is retroactive to July 2025 and runs through June 30, 2027, was approved by 84% of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers (BFT) membership, which includes 900 teachers, counselors, substitutes, school psychologists and librarians in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). The union posted on its website after the vote that the the negotiations had pushed the district “as far as possible without declaring a fiscal emergency.”

The agreement will provide a 3% salary increase this school year and another 3% raise next year, plus a one-time $1,000 bonus. The district also agreed to increase its share of healthcare coverage to 70% of premiums for families and dependents in 2027, bumping up to 80% the following year. The district currently pays 56% of teacher healthcare costs.

“We signed off on an agreement that will make a tangible difference in the lives of workers in this district,” BFT President Matt Meyer said last week in a recorded message during the school board meeting. 

Meyer said Berkeley teachers and the district reached a tentative agreement in late February following a 13-hour fact-finding and negotiation session on Feb. 20. The union initially asked for a 5% salary increase for both years and fully subsidized healthcare benefits, which the union stated is still a long-term goal.  

BUSD is the latest Bay Area school district to reach an agreement with its teachers union following weeks of tense negotiation. The United Teachers of Richmond went on strike for four days before reaching an agreement with West Contra Costa Unified School District in December; the United Educators of San Francisco also walked off the job for four days in February before reaching an agreement with San Francisco Unified; and Oakland Unified averted a strike by agreeing to a new contract with its teachers in late February.

Meanwhile, teachers in over 30 school districts in other parts of the state have been campaigning with the California Teachers Association for higher pay and better working conditions. 

The Berkeley school board is expected to review and approve the union-ratified contract during its meeting on March 18. 

BUSD labor contract imposes new staffing minimums and rules for subcontracting

The agreement includes over a dozen clauses aimed at limiting the district’s hiring of private contractors, improving student-to-staff ratios, and compensating teachers for after-hours meetings related to individual education programs (IEP) for students with unique needs. 

According to a summary of the agreement, BUSD will now have a minimum staffing ratio of one school psychologist per 500 students; dedicated 45-minute prep time periods for TK teachers; and capped Early Childhood Education class sizes of no more than 22 students per three staff (consisting of two instructional assistants and one teacher) for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Beginning in May, counselors’ workdays will be reduced to just over 7 hours to align with teachers. Efforts will be made to create staggered schedules for staff to accommodate student access to mental health services before and after school. 

Both parties also agreed that BUSD cannot subcontract work that can be completed by BFT staff without notifying the union, except in emergencies. All contract-filled positions in the district must be publicly posted with the intention of hiring union staff, unless the role is funded by one-time resources or expected to last less than a semester.  

Carryovers from the previous contract include additional pay for TK, early education and BEARS aftercare teachers when staff-to-student ratios are exceeded; a $750 moving stipend when educators are displaced from their campus due to construction; and allowing appropriately credentialed teachers to work as substitutes in administrative positions. 

Union says a strike would have done more harm than good

In its statements, BFT said it bargained for the “highest possible” compensation package for this negotiation cycle, given the district’s low budget reserves and projected state revenue. Pushing for greater contract gains would have resulted in “some serious tradeoffs,” union officials said, including layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to student services. 

Job losses for some district workers still appears likely. BUSD, which faces a budget deficit, last week issued about 350 preliminary layoff and reassignment notices, although some could be rescinded as the district works to finalize its budget over the next several months.

Budget pressures are also mounting in other Bay Area school districts. West Contra Costa Unified School District is preparing for deep cuts after agreeing to an 8% salary increase for teachers over two years. San Francisco school district officials are considering layoffs to help cover $183 million in raises and benefits. And Oakland Unified could lay off more than 400 staff after teachers secured an 11% pay raise over two years.

BFT said a neutral fact-finding report produced during negotiations recommended against the district offering more than what is in the tentative agreement ratified by teachers last week. 

“To push past this would pose problems with our narrative and community, especially since the district came ready with real offers during factfinding,” BFT posted on its website. 

The union said it will continue to align with the California Teachers Association’s statewide campaign. BUSD’s contract and others in California will expire in June 2027, with BFT expecting to return to the negotiation table next year. 

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