Central Unified teacher association president says district health‑benefit cap reflects calculation error; bargaining to continue April 10

Central Unified Teacher Association President Laura Bolton publicly told the board on March 25 that a district bargaining proposal to change the employer share of employee health insurance appears to be based on a longstanding formula error and would reduce the district’s current contribution if implemented.

Bolton said the district’s benefit‑calculation platform (BenefitSolver) had an error in its formula and that the actual current district portion of the premium is $1,440 per month; the district’s bargaining proposal uses a $1,401 monthly cap. She said that the proposal was described by the district as changing from a 90/10 percent split to a flat cap equivalent to the current 90% rate but that the dollar figure in the proposal would “put us backwards” by shifting costs onto employees. Bolton said bargaining sessions continue and that April 10 will be the thirteenth bargaining session between the district and the teachers’ association.

Bolton told trustees the district and the union have historically managed health coverage collaboratively and have kept premiums stable for about five years; she said a hard cap would make the district responsible only up to that dollar amount and would leave any shortfall to employees. She urged administration to pull the proposal and to correct the calculation. Bolton also said the association is creating a T‑shirt campaign to show solidarity during bargaining.

Ending: The board did not take formal action on the bargaining issue at the meeting; Bolton said she expects to continue bargaining with the district at the next scheduled session on April 10.