Ventura Teachers to Strike December 2 Without Deal
Ventura Unified's teachers and support staff have announced they will walk out on December 2 if no agreement is reached on pay and health benefits.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Unions
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Ventura Unified School District teachers and support staff have announced intent to strike beginning December 2 if no deal is reached. The unions are seeking more money, while the district has offered a raise paired with shared costs for health benefits.
Why it matters
A strike would be the first teachers strike in the district's 50-year history and would affect the education of 13,800 students. The dispute centers on rising health and welfare costs, which have grown to $27 million, exceeding the $23 million threshold the district and unions agreed in 2024 would trigger renewed talks.
The players
Ventura Unified School District
The public school district serving Ventura, California, with 13,800 students and roughly 1,200 unionized employees.
Ventura Unified Education Association
The teachers' union representing certificated educators in the Ventura Unified School District.
Ventura Education Support Professionals Association
The union representing classified support staff in the Ventura Unified School District.
The details
The Ventura Unified Education Association and the Ventura Education Support Professionals Association announced they will walk out if a deal cannot be reached. The district's new offer includes a raise but requires employees to share in the cost of health benefits, and the district's reserves are higher than usual because no agreement has been settled.
Timeline
2024: District and unions agreed to return to the table if health and welfare costs increased over $23 million.
December 2, 2026: Planned strike start date if no agreement is reached.
Roadmap
The current dispute is the direct result of the 2024 agreement that set a $23 million trigger for reopening talks, and health and welfare costs have since climbed to $27 million. The 2024 trigger shows how a cost-based reopener has moved the district from a negotiated arrangement toward a possible first-ever teachers strike.
If the strike goes ahead, families of Ventura Unified's 13,800 students would need to arrange childcare or other plans for the days schools are closed. Employees will also have to weigh a raise against paying a share of their health benefit costs.
The takeaway
Rising health benefit costs are now the central pressure point in this dispute, so watch whether the district and unions can agree on how those costs are shared before the December 2 deadline.
What happens next
The strike would begin December 2, 2026, if the unions and district do not reach an agreement before then.
Further reading
Explore more on Unions coverage affecting Ventura schools and workers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ABC7.
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