Sacramento Teachers Are Striking for Fair Pay and More Student Support
The Sacramento school district is pleading poverty in the face of demands for more student support and a pay raise to keep up with inflation. Teachers and school workers aren’t buying the district’s excuses — and now they’re on strike to change its priorities.
Teachers and school workers attend a rally in Sacramento, California. (Ian Lee / Jolie Media)
Three years after a one-day strike, Sacramento teachers are back on the picket line — this time for however long it takes to win a new contract.
The 2019 demonstration was unique in that it was not over unaddressed workplace issues or to reach a deal on an upcoming contract. Instead, teachers walked out to defend their already agreed-upon contract, which the district reneged on after its signing. That one-day strike culminated in a rally at the district building where thousands of educators, school workers, and community supporters gathered to demand the district honor the contract.
Now, almost three years later, teachers have walked out again — but this time they don’t know when they’re going back. Sacramento teachers are on an open-ended strike to demand pay that reflects the cost of living under inflation, more support for students, and the preservation of their health care plan.
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