Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Bargaining topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students, teachers and parents press Washington Unified for higher pay and criticize bargaining
Summary
Seventeen public commenters — including a River City student and multiple teachers — urged the Washington Unified board to increase teacher pay and called out what union speakers described as bad‑faith bargaining and a district budget maneuver involving a reported $16 million overage.
Scores of teachers, parents and students urged the Washington Unified School District board on Sept. 25 to prioritize teacher pay and retention, describing high turnover, large class sizes and a bargaining process they said has left educators distrustful.
"Please don't force our teachers to leave because they can't get the proper health care coverage and fair wages they deserve," River City ASB president Mariana Gutierrez said during the public‑comment period, which the board limited to 90 seconds per speaker. Gutierrez framed the issue as one of long‑term student impact: "When we invest in our students, we invest in West Sacramento's future."
WSTA President (identified in the meeting as President Nat) told the board faculty had walked out of a recent budget advisory meeting and criticized what the association described as a nine‑minute bargaining session with district negotiators. The union leader said a 4% district offer relied on an unexplained $16 million set aside — a figure several speakers also questioned — and characterized that approach as inconsistent with interest‑based bargaining. "We can't wait," the speaker said, echoing a chant used by many commenters.
Teachers and parents described concrete classroom pressures. A fourth‑grade teacher, Haley Tushar, said her class has reached 34 students, including multiple IEPs and 504 plans, and criticized the district's overload pay as inadequate: "At the current rate of $200 a quarter for large class sizes with no cap...we are worth a whopping $2.50 a day." Other commenters recounted repeated turnover at specific schools and warned neighboring districts were offering substantially higher starting pay.
Several speakers also raised staffing and contracting concerns for specialized services. A parent said the district relies on speech‑language therapy assistants and has only eight credentialed SLPs; she said the district had increased outside contracts by 20% in the past year to retain services.
Board members acknowledged the comments and indicated the issues will be the subject of ongoing discussions with staff and through bargaining channels. The board did not take any formal action on compensation at the meeting; trustees instead moved through the agenda's consent and action items, several of which were approved by roll call vote.
What happens next: Speakers urged immediate movement at the bargaining table; the district and union will continue negotiations under state labor rules. The board also received requests from trustees for future briefings on grant spending, professional development procurement and staffing allocations.
