26 Jan WCCUSD Narrowly Approves Union Agreements; Teachers, Staff to Get Raises

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The West Contra Costa Unified school board made it official last week: Teachers and other staff are getting a raise. It’s coming with sacrifices that are still coming into view, and, for some board members, ones they believe the district can’t pay for.

WCCUSD board members approved agreements with employee unions, including the United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters Local 856, at its Wednesday board meeting over a month after teachers and other staff went on a multi-day strike for better pay and benefits.

The board’s decision was split. While board President Guadalupe Enllana and members Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy and Cinthia Hernandez supported the agreements, members Jamela Smith-Folds and Leslie Reckler raised concerns over the financial impact of increasing expenses, as it already faces a structural deficit.

With the agreements, the district faces an around $127 million deficit over three years. The district is expected to cut job positions, student services, pull from a fund that houses money for retired employees and completely exhaust its Fund 17 reserves to remain solvent.

“I’m not going to make promises we cannot pay for. This budget plan to pay for the promises made will have lasting consequences and negative impacts on our students and the whole school community,” said Smith-Folds, who voted against each contract except the Teamsters’.

UTR negotiated an 8% raise over two years and 100% paid health benefits by 2027-28 days, ratifying it themselves later. That deal also applies to Teamsters and other employee unions that have a “me too” clause that matches the agreements. Board members approved those changes alongside the UTR and Teamsters agreements.

Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said at a community listening session that each union could see approximately 10% in cuts. For UTR and Teamsters, the largest unions, that would amount to around $24.9 million.

Other proposals to address the gap could include merging schools.

Mark Mitchell, executive director of UTR, countered the district’s picture of what was to come for the district’s financial situation.

“I want to put your minds at rest: Our district is in sound financial state,” said Mitchell, who said finance projections also included vacant positions.

“We are going to receive tens of millions of more dollars next year,” he added.

That additional funding Mitchell is referring to is part of the extra $42.3 billion in revenue Gov. Gavin Newsom is projecting over three years. Newsom proposed $22 billion of that be used for K-12 schools and community colleges across the state.

That money isn’t guaranteed. In an analysis of the budget, the Legislative Analyst’s Office said that Newsom’s proposed budget ignores a “high risk” of a stock market downturn.

Gonzalez-Hoy said the money also comes with strings attached.

“So, I don’t feel like our district is richer than we were 10 years ago or six years ago,” he said. “But the reality is … it’s time to do something different.”

As for WCCUSD’s plan, the Contra Costa County Office of Education said it can “cautiously concur” that it can keep its promises, according to a report from EdSource.

The agreements are “unaffordable if the district does not make the necessary budget reductions to maintain fiscal solvency,” the CCCOE wrote, the organization reported.

Board members would vote on the budget at the Feb. 25 meeting. In budget decisions, board members will also take into consideration a board-requested equity impact report.

Raises for board members too

Another, much smaller pay raise that board members signed on for at Wednesday’s meeting was a raise for themselves.

Members voted 3-2 on the pay increase that the district says will have a minimal impact on its finances. The increase raises members’ pay from up to $850 per month to up to $2,000 per month.

“In the financial situation that we’re in, it’s absolutely ridiculous and devaluing for this board to accept a raise,” said Smith-Folds.

Gonzalez-Hoy said the increase could help bring new voices to the board who might otherwise not be able to because of financial reasons and said they needed “to be very careful with our privilege” when talking about taking or not taking the raise.