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Members of Berkeley\u2019s classified workers union (in red) rallied in solidarity with teachers during a school board meeting in February, demanding the district prioritize contract talks and avoid a strike. Credit: Vanessa Arredondo\/Berkeleyside<\/p>\n
The Berkeley school board approved a new three\u2011year contract with its non-certified classified employees on Wednesday, ensuring salary increases, full health coverage for workers and their families, stipends for multilingual work and new restrictions on using contractors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Berkeley Council of Classified Employees (BCCE) represents about 700 non-credentialed staffers in clerical and administrative roles, including bus drivers, custodians, cooks, maintenance crews and classroom aides. The new contract covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, and was ratified by 99% of voting union members on March 23 (46% of all members voted).<\/p>\n
The agreement includes a 3% retroactive raise for this school year, a 4% increase for next school year, and a one\u2011time bonus of $600 to $1,000. It raises the district\u2019s health\u2011benefit cap to cover 100% of the Kaiser rate starting in 2027, meaning that most employees and their families will receive full benefits. Health coverage was previously fully covered for BCCE employees, but coverage for spouses and families required paying high monthly premiums, according to the union.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely made our contract a lot stronger, and we helped a little bit with the cost of living in the Bay Area,\u201d BCCE President Frank Hernandez told Berkeleyside on Tuesday. He said salary increases and robust health benefits will help recruit and retain workers in BUSD, who would otherwise be paid more outside of the public sector.<\/p>\n
BCCE\u2019s deal comes about a month after the Berkeley Federation of Teachers approved a separate contract<\/a> for its certified educators that increased wages and benefits as part of a statewide effort led by the California Teachers Association. The new agreement provides a 6% salary increase over two years, plus a one-time $1,000 bonus. BUSD also agreed to increase its share of health care coverage for individuals and families to 80% by 2028, up from 56%.<\/p>\n While Berkeley and Oakland\u2019s school districts averted a walkout, teachers in Richmond went on strike for four days<\/a>. BCCE and BUSD agreed to a no-strike or lockout clause during the contract period, a clause not included in the contract with teachers.\u00a0<\/p>\n A tentative deal between BCCE and the district was reached on March 6, roughly a week before BUSD issued about 350 preliminary layoff notices to staff, mostly impacting non-credentialed classified employees<\/a>. California law requires school districts to notify employees of potential layoffs by March 15 each year<\/a> and issue final notices by May 15.\u00a0<\/p>\n