Natomas Unified teachers continue their strike for better pay and health care amidst stalled negotiations.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Teachers in the Natomas Unified School District remained on strike Friday as negotiations with district leaders resumed but ended for the night without a deal.
Educators say they are continuing to fight for better pay, fully funded health care and more classroom resources. District leaders say the union’s demands could put the district at financial risk.
Outside the Natomas Unified district office earlier in the day, teachers continued picketing for a fourth day.
Natomas Teachers Association (NTA) leaders say the strike is about more than salary.
“Sending a message to the district with the expectations for them to get serious to offer us actually fully funded healthcare that will keep educators here in Natomas for our students,” said Nico Vaccaro, president of the Natomas Teachers Association.
Negotiations between the district and the union have been happening in some form for about a year.
Teachers are asking for salary increases of 4.5% and 4% over two years, fully covered Kaiser health insurance, smaller class sizes and more special education support.
Even as classrooms remain open with substitute teachers, some families are standing with educators on the picket line.
“It’s a primarily female dominated profession and I feel like it’s been undervalued for a really long time,” said Natomas Unified parent Kelsey Elwell-Taylor.
District leaders say they already have a strong offer on the table. The proposal offered Friday night includes a salary increase of 4.25% over two years, increasing it from 4%, and proposed sharing benefit cost increases starting in 2027–28.
Friday night the district called the negotiations “deeply disappointing” and called on the Natomas Teachers Association to bargain in good faith.
The district said productive negotiations must be based on financial realities reflected in its budget and said union leaders refused to provide their own fiscal analysis showing how their proposals could be sustained without major cuts to programs and staff.
District leaders also cited an independent fact-finding report they say found their proposal reasonable and warned the union’s proposals could create long-term financial risks.
“That proposal may just be affordable for this year, but no-cost-to-employee health and welfare options are unpredictable to budget for in future years, and in this era of declining enrollment and smaller budgets, could drive the District into insolvency,” the district statement read.
NTA officials said the district continues to fail the students and the community.
Teachers during the rally Friday afternoon said, striking has been difficult but necessary.
“Kind of disappointed that it’s taking for us to strike to even get some movement going,” Natomas Unified special education teacher Mya Swyaah Menefee said.
The district said student attendance this week has held steady at about 50%, and substitute teachers have maintained classroom coverage. As of Friday night, no word when the two sides will meet again.
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