RIO LINDA, CA — Following months of deadlocked negotiations, Twin Rivers United Educators (TRUE) has officially issued a strike notice, with labor action set to begin this Thursday, March 5. The move comes immediately after the release of a state-appointed fact-finding report intended to resolve an impasse that began in late 2025.
In a message sent to families on March 3, the Twin Rivers Unified School District announced it has “accepted the recommendations in full” from the independent report, offering a new proposal to the union in a last-minute bid to avert the walkout.
The Fact-Finding Report: A Roadmap for Resolution?
The report was authored by neutral chair Gina M. Roccanova after three days of testimony in February 2026. It addresses 16 unresolved articles in the contract, ranging from basic pay to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom.
Based on the information provided by the District and the fact-finding report, the District has offered to accept the neutral panel’s recommendations in full. The specific items currently being offered by the District include:
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary Increases: Annual salary increases for two years aligned with the state’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
- Health Insurance: Fully funded medical coverage for employees, “employee plus one,” and full family coverage through June 30, 2027.
- Future Benefit Contributions: The amount paid for benefits as of June 30, 2027, will become the new permanent District contribution amount, with any future changes subject to negotiation.
Safety and Working Conditions
- Air and Facilities: A commitment to strive for properly conditioned and filtered air in every classroom, as well as access to functioning bathroom facilities, working telephones, and internet access.
- Safety Equipment: Providing extra communication devices for members working extra-duty assignments where they are needed to ensure safety.
- Utility Outages: If water or electricity is out at a work location for more than two hours, the District will make “reasonable efforts” to release or relocate staff, provided student safety is not jeopardized.
Other Contractual Agreements
- Tentative Agreements: The District is offering to incorporate all eight contract articles where agreement was already reached during previous negotiation sessions into the final Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
- Status Quo for Other Issues: For any remaining issues in dispute not specifically addressed by the panel’s new recommendations, the District’s offer maintains the current “status quo” language from the existing contract.
Operational Continuity
- Schools to Remain Open: The District has stated that schools will remain open to provide stability, meals (breakfast and lunch), and after-school activities.
- Student Services: Continued operation of bus routes and all standard student programs.
The District noted that while these terms exceed their previous offers and will require “adjustments in other areas” of the budget, they believe it is the only responsible path to avoid disruption for the district’s 24,000 students.
Why the Union is Moving Forward
Despite the District’s acceptance of the report, TRUE leadership has indicated it will proceed with the strike unless a final agreement is signed.
The union’s push for a strike is fueled by several core issues detailed in the fact-finding proceedings:
- Staffing Crisis: The union highlighted 83 current vacancies within the bargaining unit, arguing that current compensation is not enough to recruit or retain educators.
- Classroom Caps: TRUE is seeking “hard caps” on class sizes and minimum staffing levels for support roles like counselors, psychologists, and nurses.
- Working Conditions: Disagreements remain over elementary prep time (seeking an increase from 90 to 120 minutes) and the use of grading as a subject of discipline.
- Technology Concerns: One of the more modern sticking points is a proposed prohibition on replacing bargaining unit work with AI without union approval.
Impact on Schools and Families
District officials have confirmed that all schools will remain open if the strike occurs on Thursday.
- Student Services: Breakfast and lunch programs will continue on their normal schedules.
- Transportation: Buses will operate on their usual routes.
- Extra-Curriculars: After-school activities are expected to continue.
“Our focus remains on keeping students safe, supported, and learning every day,” the District stated in its letter to families.
Timeline of the Dispute
- February 27, 2025: Successor negotiations began.
- October 28, 2025: TRUE filed for impasse after 11 sessions failed to produce a full agreement.
- January 9, 2026: The matter was certified for fact-finding after mediation failed.
- March 2, 2026: The Fact-Finding Panel Report was officially signed.
- March 5, 2026: Scheduled start of the TRUE strike.
Both parties remain at the table, with the District stating they are “ready to finalize the agreement immediately” based on the neutral panel’s findings.
This is a developing story. Rio Linda Online will provide updates as more information becomes available regarding the negotiations.
