Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1545867
Ortiz says educators in West Contra Costa Unified School Dis- trict previously had fully paid health care benefits but lost them in a bargain some time ago. After UTR's proposal in their previ- ous bargain was summarily rejected, Ortiz says he knew it was a priority for this year's contract campaign. "I was confident that we would be successful because we had built the structures and I knew our members would come and show out," Ortiz says. "Fighting back for something we had and restoring it, especially with the increased cost of health care, is a huge win for us because that's going to be money in people's pockets." rough the power of their five-day strike in December 2025, UTR won fully paid benefits for educators and their families by mid-2027 — helping to stem chronic churn that has seen teachers leave WCCUSD for districts that pro- vide better benefits. Ortiz credits strong site-based organizing, brutal honesty and clear transparency with members for their success. "e most important key was relent- lessly saying what we were going to do and doing what we said — it might sound cliché but that's what it really is," Ortiz says. Leading the first of six strikes by CTA locals this year, Ortiz says he appreciated joining locals' picket lines in Sacramento and Dublin to support and help keep the momentum going for the fight for fully paid health care. "Lead with hope, believe in your members and trust in the process," he says. "Claim or reclaim your organizer voice — we're all organizers and we can't be afraid to change things!" Historic Strike in San Francisco for Health Care Equity For the first time since the union's founding in 1919, all United Educators of San Francisco members will have fully paid health care benefits, following their win secured through their four-day strike earlier this year. eir victory addresses ongoing increases in dependent health care costs for UESF members, which were eating up negotiated raises for educators with families and ineq- uitably impacting paraeducators, some of whom were paying as much as $1,600 a month for health insurance for their families. "For some of our paras, that was a majority of their paycheck," says UESF President Cassondra Curiel. "We knew we had to go after dependent health care so that any pay increase we won would be felt across the entire unit." As part of their win, all health care premiums for depen- dent health care coverage will be decreased by 50% at the star t of th e 2027 school year — and in Januar y, th ey will be completely covered. Curiel says this victor y will impact UESF members in substantial ways, sharing that two married members of the bargaining team said they might now be able to afford to have a child. "No matter the circumstances, UESF members will now be able to use their full paycheck to take on the challenges we all are under," Curiel says. " That is the most winning measure of this contract campaign." Curiel says strong sit e str uctures were a big part of UESF's success at the table and on strike — with the local making a deliberate effort to establish a union-building committee at every school site to create teams and split responsibilities to pull off the actions needed at each to win collectively. A local rooted in transparency, UESF 's bargaining and leadership teams pro- vided consistent communication along the way by email and video to allow members to access the level of information best for them. Curiel says UESF embraced orga- nizer Jane McAlevey's approach to internal communications and achieving their goals. "e level of understanding is equal to the level of partici- pation and the level of participation is equal to the level of understanding," Curiel paraphrases. is past year of educator struggle and triumph has been spe- cial, Curiel says, especially as part of the greater We Can't Wait campaign, joining locals across the state to create new, better standards for our public schools and students. Likening it to worker wins like the 40-hour work week and child labor laws, Curiel says We Can't Wait is an example of what we are capable of together even in these challenging times. "For every inch we push on our own, we move leaps and bounds collectively — we're pushing a lot further than on our own, trying to claw back what should have been here the whole time," Curiel says, noting that the local fights are having statewide impacts. "As a result of this year-long We Can't Wait crusade we've been on, the governor's revised budget proposal is putting more resources into education — the amount of force "Know your value, know you deserve this, that your work is important and your health is valuable. Teachers' well-being has a direct impact on students' experience — on how our students get what they deserve. Keep your eyes on the prize of fighting for full coverage." —Soquel Education Assn. President D-R. Martin 20 cta.org Feature