February 13 — Alameda, California — As of its third mediation session on February 11, the bargaining teams for Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and the Alameda Education Association (AEA) have reached tentative agreements (TAs) on all of the contract articles that had been opened, including salary and benefits.

 

The agreement applies to all members of the AEA, which represents teachers, nurses, speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, and counselors.

 

The District and the AEA had been negotiating this contract since January of 2025. The union declared impasse in November, which led to three mediation sessions with a neutral mediator appointed by the state’s Public Employee Relations Board (PERB).

 

In the final mediation session on February 11, the two teams tentatively agreed to a 10 percent increase plus a 2% bonus over the next three years, with the yearly increases as follows:

 

• 2025-26
  • 6% increase comprised of:
    • 4% ongoing raise
      • 3% retroactive to July 1, 2025
      • 1% retroactive to January 1, 2026
    • 2% one-time bonus (which will distributed as $2160 to each member)
• 2026-27
  • 3% on-going raise
• 2027-28
  • Guaranteed 3% on-going raise and:
    • If the COLA is between 3% and 3.99%, AEA members will receive that amount in a raise
    • If the COLA is more than 4%, the two teams will re-open salary negotiations

The salary increases for 2025-26 and 2026-27 are significantly higher than the cost-of-living adjustments that the state is: a) providing school districts this year (2.3%); and b) estimating for next year (2.4%). (Source:California Department of Education: LCFF COLA web page.)

 

 

Under the terms of TA, AUSD’s contribution to AEA members’ health benefits increased to:

 

By January 2028, AUSD’s contribution for individual plans will have increased 47% and its contribution to employee family plans will have increased 76%.

 

“To provide these significant increases in salary and benefits, we have chosen to use select one-time funds in a way that does carry some long-term financial risk,” says AUSD Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi.

 

“In part, we’ll be spending down a portion of the cushion we maintain to protect the district in case of a sudden or long-term economic downturn. We’re also pre-committing any additional one-time money coming to the district in the next few years to support this agreement. But by structuring this as a three-year deal, we feel this can be doable and that we are being both fair to our employees and fiscally responsible.”

 

Altogether, the two teams have come to agreement on 14 articles related to:

 

 

“The bargaining process requires dedication from both parties to reach meaningful agreement,” says Tim Erwin, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and AUSD’s Bargaining Chair.  “Countless hours are spent preparing and negotiating. It isn’t always easy—effective bargaining takes perseverance and a careful eye for detail. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the members of the AEA and District bargaining teams for their hard work and collaboration in achieving these agreements.”   

 

The next step is for first AEA members and then AUSD's Board of Education to vote on whether to ratify the tentative agreement. The financial terms must also be approved by the Alameda County Office of Education.
 
“This has been a challenging process,” says Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi. "As a district, we understand the struggles our teachers are having here in the Bay Area. The glaring insufficiencies of our public education finance system at the state and federal levels create pronounced challenges and unnecessary tensions between teachers, administrators, and board members.

 

“Despite that," he continues, "We know that it’s our responsibility to work locally with our bargaining partners in a respectful and creative way to come to solutions. I am grateful to both teams for their persistence, to our Board for their durability and commitment, and to everyone involved for their willingness to collaborate within a difficult set of circumstances and constraints.”
 
Adds Board President Ryan LaLonde, “The Board approached these negotiations with seriousness and resolve. We were determined to reach a fair agreement without compromising the district’s financial future. The result — a 10% raise over three years, a bonus, and full coverage of the current cost of individual healthcare premiums — is a major commitment. Leadership requires making difficult decisions, and this was one. Now we move forward, together, with the responsibility of making this investment sustainable.”