Half Moon Bay teachers avert strike with last-minute deal over wages, benefits

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- It came down the wire, but a deal has been reached to keep teachers in Half Moon Bay off the picket line Thursday.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Just two minutes before midnight the Cabrillo Unified School District and teachers' union announced the tentative contract agreement.

It includes a 6% raise for teachers retroactive to July of last year.

The district will also pay the full cost of health insurance for teachers and give them $100 per month toward benefits for their families.

"We are thrilled to have reached this agreement with our valued teachers," said Superintendent Lee-Alva. "This deal not only provides our educators with a well-deserved pay increase and improved benefits but also demonstrates our dedication to creating a positive and supportive environment for both our staff and students."

The deal still has to be voted on by union members and approved by the board of education and county before its finalized.

The agreement was made at 11:58 p.m., and the teachers said if it had not come through, they would have started striking Thursday.

Instructor Annette Angeles-Hagarty of El Granada Elementary fought back tears as she thought about the children in her class.

"I was talking with a parent this morning and I just lost it, because it's not what we want for our students - I feel like I'm just getting to know my students, I'm connecting with them I have 4-year-old in TK," Angeles-Hagarty said.

Wages and health benefits are front and center for her and others in the Cabrillo Unified School District.

Those with the union say they haven't had a cost of living raise since the 2021/2022 school year.