Sacramento, CA – The Sacramento City Unified School District’s negotiations team met from 2:30 p.m. until late into the night at the bargaining table with the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA) today. The district presented proposals that would increase compensation for district staff and provide fully paid health care coverage for all employees and their families.

If accepted, these proposals, which can be viewed at www.scusd.edu on the Negotiations Update page, include:

Health Coverage:

• 100% health coverage through Kaiser provided for all employees and all their immediate family members at no cost to employees.
• Employees that already have health coverage can opt to receive $3,000 per year ($250 per month) in-lieu of receiving this coverage through the district.
• SCUSD would still offer the most generous health coverage benefits in the region.

Pay Increases

• Ongoing 2% salary increase starting in the 2021-22 school year.
• This ongoing salary increase builds on a total compensation package that is the highest in Sacramento county.

One-Time Bonuses

• 2% one-time stipend for 2021-2022 for every full-time district employee; and
• 1% one-time stipend for 2020-2021 for every full-time district employee; and
• 1% one-time stipend for 2019-2020 for every full-time district employee.
• $2,000 signing bonus for new employees hired into a certificated position on or before September 15, 2022 for the 2022-23 school year.

Increased Pay for Substitute Teachers and Nurses

• Increase substitute teacher daily rate by 25% for substitutes who filled in for absent teachers during the 2021-22 school year.
• Provide an extra $150 per hour for nurses who took on extra COVID-related work beyond their regular 6-hour day during the 2021-22 school year.

More Professional Development

• Offer three (3) additional paid days for professional learning, which increases salaries an additional 1.65% for 2022-23.

“We are working to find common ground with our labor partners,” said Jorge A. Aguilar, Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District. “The district’s proposals are squarely aimed at addressing our district’s staffing challenges and would help our district recruit and retain staff. Equally important, the proposals also appropriately and responsibly balance use of one-time funds and ongoing budget commitments.”

“We care about our employees and provide the highest compensation in the region. The district has proposed to pay 100% of health care coverage through a premium Kaiser plan for all employees and their families, give all staff a raise, provide one-time bonuses, and add additional paid professional development days,” said Christina Pritchett, Board President, Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education. “A strike would be detrimental to our students, who have already endured trauma and interrupted learning due to the pandemic. We hope that our labor partners will consider that we are offering to enhance compensation for district employees while aligning health benefits across our district and maintaining a very generous health benefits package for all employees and their families. We ask that SCTA continue working with us and call off the strike.”

The district’s negotiating team is scheduled to meet with SCTA’s negotiations team and two state appointed mediators again on Tuesday morning.

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