While presenting a façade of opposition to the West Contra Costa Unified School District (hereon referred to as “WCCUSD” or “the district”), at key points, the United Teachers of Richmond (hereon referred to as “UTR”) does exactly what they want. Several items from their last few email updates make it clear that UTR, purposely or not, are acting as agents of the district. UTR doesn’t want to win. A poor result for the much vaunted We Can’t Wait campaign which UTR is a part of (We Can Wait would be more accurate) is all but assured because they simply will not strike. UTR will not hold the district accountable, but members will be encouraged to wear red t-shirts, hold signs and take pictures. The leverage of these actions is minimal compared to strike action.

One factor leading to UTR acting as agents of the district is the fact that UTR leaders are trained and encouraged by CTA to avoid strikes and stronger political action. I experienced this when I was on the executive board. Another factor are the distinct rewards for not rocking the boat and being willing to settle for inadequate contracts. UTR leaders have historically ended up on the school board, as WCCUSD administrators, the district spokesperson, the state office of education and in cushy union positions with UTR, CTA and NEA where they don’t have to worry about lesson planning, grading, behavior issues or contacting parents. They have an incentive to go along to get along for their career ambitions. 

CTA is an interest group of the CA Democrat Party which makes them beholden to the Party’s interest in “labor peace”, where the unions and districts essentially get along without a lot of friction. This is because Democrats and CTA by extension are doing the service of capital/big business/the wealthy by maintaining and not transforming the current labor relations. It’s a lot deeper than just being weak or ineffectual. They’re institutionally designed to deliver the same results year on year. Just like changing the leaders of the Democrat Party won’t change the results, changing the leaders of UTR won’t matter. People don’t able to rise to these positions of power without a willingness to maintain the union status quo modus operandi.

UTR Updates 5.9.2025:

The premise of this update is that UTR is bargaining in good faith with the district, but the district is not: “And now, after months of obstruction, WCCUSD is trying to claim the ‘prospect of a pending strike’ is cooling negotiations—even though UTR has not threatened or planned a strike.”

Their response to this charge isn’t “yes we’re planning a strike if we don’t get what we deserve”. Instead it’s to furiously deny there are any plans to strike, which is the only real leverage a union/workers have. UTR is proud of the fact that they have not threatened or planned a strike. It would be embarrassing if they actually were working for their members, but they’re not, so it makes perfect sense. I’ve never seen such a naked admission by a labor union that they are not planning to strike. At least UTR usually pretends it’s an option they’re considering.

UTR Updates 5.23.2025:

“Our educators will enter the 25-26 school year with the same salary schedule we have had since 2023.”

“In a time where cost of living is exploding, this is an effective pay cut on wages that are already significantly lower than those of surrounding districts who encourage our educators to quit WCCUSD and work for them.”

Whose fault is that? Who decided to stop fact-finding before the report was even released? Who decided to not go on strike in 2023 when UTR’s momentum was huge and building? Who decided to sign a three year contract with raises only in Years 1 and Year 2 and with no raise in Year 3? In this accounting, it’s as if the district has a dictatorship and UTR is powerless. It’s as if the last contract was imposed on UTR and not heralded by UTR leadership as “historic”. 

Here is how the 2023 tentative agreement for the 2022-2025 contract was sold to UTR members: “From the beginning, our campaign was about fighting for the schools our students and community deserve. In order to do so, we prioritized three things: 1. Physically and emotionally safe schools, 2. A permanent, certificated educator in every classroom, 3. Uplifting community voice through shared decision-making. This tentative agreement is not perfect, but we do believe it achieved our priorities.”

If the priority of a permanent certificated in every classroom was achieved by the contract, why are there still so many vacant positions or positions filled by long term substitutes? Why does the district still have a contract with Teach for America (TFA) (which UTR doesn’t do anything to fight against)?

UTR was originally asking for 24% over 3 years:  _{Bargaining Update 22-08-29 – Google Docs}

Then it became 22% over 3 years: _{Bargaining Update 22-10-10 – Google Docs}

Then it became 17% over Years 1 and 2 of the 3 year contract and “Raise on all UTR salary schedules matching the statutory COLA for the 2024-25 academic year” for Year 3:_{Bargaining Update 22-11-29 – Google Docs}

Then it became: 14.5% over Year 1 and Year 2 of the contract and a reopener on salary for Year 3, but don’t worry, we’ll get something really good! _{Tentative Agreement 2022-25.pdf – Google Drive}

Then, for Year 3, finally UTR reached a tentative agreement with a one time flat payment for every employee, regardless of placement on the salary scale.

So, what was originally 24% over 3 years, became 14.5% and a one time off schedule payment of $3,561.19 over 3 years. That bonus is nothing compared to the compound interest of a salary schedule increase.

UTR is responsible for precisely what they are complaining about when they say: “Our educators will enter the 25-26 school year with the same salary schedule we have had since 2023.” They also demonized, isolated and ostracized anyone within the union who argued against this contract which gave inadequate salary increases to UTR members at a time when the state was giving record funding to districts. Their decision-making doesn’t make sense outside of the framework of UTR acting as agents of the district more than they’re acting in the interest of their own members.

UTR Updates 6.6.2025:

Finally, UTR welcomes the new superintendent, Dr. Cheryl Cotton. What’s written here might as well be a press release written by the district. If the district isn’t paying UTR for their services on their behalf, they really should be.

“This week, we welcomed a familiar face home. Dr. Cheryl Cotton, a former WCCUSD student and principal, was named the next superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified. Her appointment marks a historic moment—she is the first African American woman to permanently lead our district and someone who understands the communities we serve firsthand. We look forward to working with Dr. Cotton and hope her leadership brings a renewed focus on equity, transparency, and the urgent needs of our schools.”

It is good to have more people of color in positions of authority. We need representation which reflects the community they serve. However, people of color making the budget cuts that used to be made by White men isn’t progress. It’s cynical and a manipulation of identity politics for nefarious ends. WCCUSD’s current interim superintendent Kim Moses is a Black woman. Does this fact in and of itself mean she has been good for educators and students? She has been the opposite, just as all her predecessors of all races, ethnic backgrounds and genders have been. She’s the one UTR is currently complaining about in their emails. 

We have seen how the language of “historic firsts” has been used to keep the status quo in place under the guise of history being made. 

Does UTR have evidence that Dr. Cotton will be good for educators? Students? Parents? The community or public education at large? If not, why are they issuing this fawning praise for her as if she is a hero returning to glory? How can someone who works for the county and state offices of education possibly be looking out for teachers? She wouldn’t rise to all of these positions if she shared our goals of transforming our working conditions and salaries. The district has long used hollow pronouncements on what they call “anti-racism” while cutting resources for precisely the most vulnerable groups they claim to be supporting.

UTR playing along with the district’s script in this regard is shameful but not surprising considering they work on their behalf.

WCCUSD’s previous superintendent, Dr. Chris Hurst oversaw the scandal at Stege Elementary. “Stege is a K-6 school in Richmond with a high percentage of low-income and Black students. According to WCCUSD spokesperson Liz Sanders, 39% of Stege’s student population is Black, the highest percentage of any school in the district.”

Local attorney Lakisha Mitchel-Keith described how students were exposed to “environmental hazards” for years including asbestos, sewage on clothing from overflowing toilets, and serious issues with ventilation and heat, “Since some classroom windows can’t be opened, Mitchell-Keith said, classroom temperatures would rise above 80 degrees. The standard range for a safe classroom temperature is between 68-76 degrees, she said.” Did it represent progress for the superintendent overseeing this damage to be Black? 

There’s more: “The school also lacks fire sprinklers and adequate fire extinguishers, which combined with exposed electrical wiring inside and out creates a major fire hazard, she said.” Lead was also present at that school.

“Other parents asked Hurst whether the presence of lead and asbestos threatened their children’s health. Simon-Tatum asked how it was considered acceptable for a school to continue to operate with possible lead and asbestos contamination, if a house with those materials might be considered hazardous.”

For those who say UTR also stands up to the district at times, and it’s not fair to say they work for the district, I would offer a response. They wouldn’t be credible as a company union working as agents of the employer if they didn’t present an image of opposition, if they didn’t do *some things* to seem like they are working for their members. That’s a small price for the district to pay in return for UTR’s consistent decision not to strike and to accept bargain basement salaries (by UTR’s own admission).

UTR has had the facts on the budget given to them. They’ve been told repeatedly the error of their ways to no avail. They are purposely doing what they can to avoid getting what their members deserve. In fact, they do everything possible to destroy people within the union who try to make the union actually work for its members.

“We Can’t Wait” will inevitably end with an inadequate salary increase which doesn’t keep up with inflation or make up for the inflation of recent years, just like previous contracts. It will be sold as “historic”. Then, in another year or two, we will be told how terrible things are. So, what’s going on? Either these contracts aren’t amazing or things aren’t as bad as UTR later claims them to be. Spoiler alert: they are that bad and then some. So, why does UTR continue to sign contracts which result in conditions that they accurately describe as horrible shortly thereafter? It’s because in practice, they act as agents of the district.

The only answer to this situation is for sites to organize directly without the leadership. They need to do wildcat strikes which force the union and district to make serious changes. Like with “taking over the Democrat Party and pushing them left”, taking over the UTR leadership and getting them to represent their members has been tried and failed. It’s up the rank and file members to take direct action to make a change.

A WCCUSD Teacher