Teachers press Redondo Beach board for raises and relief on soaring health costs amid negotiations

Dozens of teachers and union representatives urged the Redondo Beach Unified School District board on Oct. 14 to prioritize salary increases and reductions in employee health-care costs as contract negotiations continue.

"I am here tonight to ask the district to please consider a raise that reflects the realities of living in our community," said Gretchen Bizub, a third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary, during the public-comment period. Several other teachers described sharply higher premiums and related financial strain. "My insurance costs have almost doubled from last year to this year," said Casey Wadell, a math teacher at Redondo Union High School, who said rising benefits costs force families to cut extracurriculars.

The comments came amid ongoing bargaining between the district and employee groups. The board voted during the meeting to approve sunshine letters to begin negotiations with the Early Childhood Federation AFT Local 1475 and to transmit the district’s initial proposal, a procedural step that opens formal bargaining. Dr. Stephanie, who described the items as sunshine letters, said the district would start negotiations in early November.

Union leadership and members said the pressure of classroom work, the rising cost of living in Redondo Beach and higher benefit contributions are undermining teacher retention. "We're asking for fairness. We're asking for a raise that reflects the reality of living and working in this area," Ardan Hadley, a seventh-grade English teacher at Paris Middle School, told the board. Tracy Proudfoot, a Spanish dual-immersion teacher, urged the board to create stipends for dual-immersion teachers to recognize extra workload and to help sustain the program.

Sue Carlton, speaking for RBTA leadership, read a statement that thanked bargaining-team members and urged continued unity among educators while stressing that many teachers have received no on-schedule raise since 2023.

Supporters in the audience also addressed the board. Levi Staer, a parent and SEPAC member, urged the board to remember teachers during negotiations and cited numbers he said show pay progress has lagged for classroom teachers compared with some district office increases over recent years.

What happened next: The board approved procedural sunshine items related to early-childhood bargaining. No final contracts or salary decisions were made at the Oct. 14 meeting; bargaining timelines and proposals will be developed at the negotiation table.

Why it matters: Teachers said unresolved compensation and benefit issues affect retention and classroom continuity in a high-cost community. The district and unions now enter formal bargaining with both sides having publicly stated priorities.

Next steps: Negotiations with the Early Childhood Federation AFT Local 1475 are slated to start in early November; district and union leaders will exchange proposals and schedule bargaining sessions.