ETA Reaches Contract Settlement 1/26/26

ETA’s bargaining team met at the table on January 26 for our first day of mediation with the District. After more than eight hours of facilitated discussion, we reached a tentative agreement on the final outstanding articles, including: Article 7 (Hours of Employment) and Article 15 (Wages, Health, and Welfare). Below are the details of the tentative agreement for these articles. Click here to read the complete text of the settlement agreement.

As part of the tentative agreement, the District rescinded its proposal to add an additional 15 minutes to the work week under Article 7 (Hours of Employment). With respect to Article 15 (Wages, Health, and Welfare), your bargaining team secured an ongoing 2.5% salary increase. Of this increase, 2% is retroactive to July 1, 2025, and the remaining 0.5% is compounded and retroactive to January 1, 2026. The 2025–2026 benefits increase of approximately $94.00 per month will be fully covered by the District in perpetuity. Any future increases will continue to be shared 50/50 between ETA members and the District, consistent with current contract language. Additionally, ETA and EESD agreed to return to the table for the third year of the contract (2026–2027) to negotiate limited components of Article 15, and each side will have the ability to reopen two additional contract articles.

A follow-up email will be sent with details for a membership meeting tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with the location to be determined; voting will open that evening.

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to our membership who showed up, spoke out, and used their outside voices at rallies and Board meetings. Your visibility, solidarity, and willingness to engage publicly made a meaningful difference at the table. A special shout-out goes to our Organizing Committee and to our OC Chair, Lisa Sato, for her leadership and coordination throughout this process. We are also incredibly grateful to our parents and community members who stepped up, stood with us, and demonstrated unwavering support for ETA and our educators.

While this tentative agreement represents important progress, it is only one step in addressing the broader, systemic challenges facing educators in our District. Meaningful, lasting change will require continued member engagement, along with sustained collaboration with parents and community partners. Staying organized, informed, and involved will be critical as we move forward.  

In solidarity, 

Suzanne, Tami, Melody, Julie, and Francie