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Teachers, union leaders press MDUSD for higher pay, smaller classes, medical coverage during packed public‑comment period
Summary
Hundreds of educators, union leaders and parents urged the Mount Diablo Unified board to negotiate in good faith on pay and benefits, press the district to fund lower elementary class sizes and expand counseling and medical coverage.
A large public‑comment turnout at the May 14 Mount Diablo Unified School District board meeting centered on teacher contract negotiations, class size, medical benefits and student counseling. Speakers included district teachers, members of the Mount Diablo Education Association and parents who urged the board to address staffing, compensation and classroom conditions.
Linda Ortega, president of the Mount Diablo Education Association, told the board that more than 1,500 certificated educators are represented by the union and said members ‘‘educate and support all students at every site across the district.’’ Ortega said Medea had requested the meeting be moved to a larger room to accommodate members and that the bargaining unit and district remain at an impasse with dates set for late June.
Teacher and parent speakers described crowded classrooms, staff shortages and delayed bargaining. ‘‘I teach third grade and have 31 students,’’ said Cindy Aguilar, a teacher with 24 years in the district, describing classroom limits she said prevented her from meeting student needs. Angel Trincato, a first‑grade teacher, said that between him and his partner they serve 62 first‑grade students and cited research showing smaller classes improve outcomes for low‑income and minority children.
Several speakers urged the board to preserve the district’s current medical coverage for transgender health care. Alex Economy, a three‑year MDUSD teacher who identifies as transgender, described high personal costs for gender‑related care in previous districts and said the district’s medical coverage had enabled him to afford necessary treatment. United Food and Commercial Workers and other labor representatives also spoke in solidarity with teachers seeking larger pay increases than those proposed by the district.
Other recurring requests included increased counselor time on elementary campuses and pay that keeps pace with cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA). Cori Lynch Grant, an MLL support teacher, and others warned that some teachers were considering leaving the district if negotiators do not reach an agreement.
The board did not take public votes during the comment period; trustees acknowledged many of the concerns and asked staff to continue negotiations and follow up on specific campus conditions. The district’s superintendent and negotiators were on the meeting record; the board’s formal bargaining positions remain subject to closed‑session negotiation and are not detailed in the public transcript.
Ending: The meeting underscored persistent bargaining tensions between the district and certificatied staff, with parents and teachers signaling escalating pressure if contract talks do not produce larger pay and staffing commitments.
