Around 95% of the unit\u2019s 1,400 teachers voted earlier this month<\/a> to authorize a strike. If teachers force a work stoppage it will be the first strike in the district\u2019s history.<\/p>\n The district has been in contract negotiations with its teachers union, Twin Rivers United Educators, for more than a year. TRUE President Brittoni Ward said that they are fighting for an agreement that includes competitive wages and fully paid family health benefits to help attract and retain teachers, plus provisions that would decrease class sizes and improve student services.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, over 2,000 Twin Rivers students are sitting in classrooms without a permanent teacher,\u201d Ward said. \u201cThis is a crisis that can and should end today. All TRUSD has to do is follow the law, invest in our classrooms, and treat its educators with respect and dignity. We are ready to reach a fair agreement, but we are also prepared to do whatever it takes to make our students the absolute priority in this district.\u201d<\/p>\n The two parties are now in a fact-finding stage in which a neutral third party reviews data from both sides. The panel will issue a report early next week.<\/p>\n Superintendent Steve Martinez and Board President Christine Jeffries did not respond to an interview request from The Sacramento Bee. District spokesperson Zenobia Gerald sent an emailed statement about negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile an agreement has not yet been reached, Twin Rivers Unified continues to bargain in good faith with a focus on providing a contract that increases teachers\u2019 compensation and benefits and also ensures our schools remain strong and sustainable for years to come,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWe are optimistic that the fact-finding process will help bridge the remaining gaps and move us closer to a resolution that supports our entire school community\u2014especially our students\u2019 long-term success.\u201d<\/p>\n The announcement of a strike date comes shortly after Martinez\u2019s Thursday announcement that he would step down from his position by the end of October. On the same day, the Twin Rivers Unified board approved an emergency set of guidelines should teachers authorize a work stoppage. The resolution includes the authorization to hire substitute teachers at a rate of up to $600 per day.<\/p>\n Trustee Sascha Vogt wrote in a Twin Rivers Facebook group that she voted yes on the measure to ensure stability for students in the case of a strike.<\/p>\n \u201cAs trustees, we have a duty to ensure continuity of learning, student safety, and essential services under every circumstance,\u201d she wrote. \u201cFor many families, our schools provide stability, meals, supervision, vital services and consistency, especially during times of uncertainty in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Other Sacramento-area teachers poised to strike<\/p>\n Twin Rivers United Educators is one of several unions in the region<\/a> that has joined a statewide California Teachers Association campaign to improve teacher pay.<\/p>\n Teachers in Natomas<\/a> and West Sacramento have also authorized strikes after months of failed contract negotiations.<\/p>\n Natomas Unified School District Superintendent Robyn Castillo cited the district\u2019s long-term financial stability as the key reason for not meeting the district\u2019s demands, saying that the district would have to consider cuts to academic and support services to fund the contract.<\/p>\n Castillo and Martinez, alongside several superintendents of large California school districts facing union disputes, signed an open letter to policymakers<\/a> calling for more funding from the state to cover rising costs and decreasing revenues in school districts across the state.<\/p>\n Natomas and Twin Rivers teachers were paid an average of $90,931 and $98,027 a year in 2024-25, respectively, according to the California Department of Education. Teachers in Sacramento City Unified School District were paid an average of $109,230. The average teacher salary for a public school teacher in the state of California was $103,552. SCUSD teachers also receive fully-paid individual and family healthcare benefits.<\/p>\n This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 5:30 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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