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Teachers tell board rising health premiums and stagnant pay are squeezing classroom support
Summary
Multiple teachers and RBTA leadership urged the board to pursue on‑schedule, permanent raises to offset rising premiums and cost-of-living pressures; union leaders said the district and association should reach a tentative agreement sooner rather than later.
Several teachers used the hearing and the communications section to press trustees on compensation and benefits.
Speakers including Jackie Nichols (26‑year teacher), Barbara Bine (AP U.S. history teacher) and Keith Ellison said escalating health‑insurance premiums and stagnant on‑schedule increases have eroded pay and left teachers feeling undervalued. One teacher described premiums rising from earlier years and said recent jumps have created substantial out‑of‑pocket increases; another asked the board to authorize on‑schedule raises rather than one‑time payments and to prioritize classroom support and smaller class sizes.
RBTA leadership (Janataka, with Sue Carlton) echoed the message, praised teacher commitment and asked the board to work on a fair on‑schedule salary proposal. They said the union is not adversarial but seeks a sustainable salary structure and urged both sides to reach a tentative agreement more promptly than last year.
Superintendent Dr. Nicole Wesley acknowledged the comments and said the district negotiations team also hopes for a timely tentative agreement (TA). The board took no labor action at the meeting but accepted the CSEA sunshine letters and the district’s initial proposals for bargaining (administrative procedure to begin negotiations).
