Teachers, unions press Redondo Beach Unified for raises as negotiations loom

Dozens of teachers, staff and union leaders urged the Redondo Beach Unified School District board on Tuesday to prioritize on‑schedule raises and improved benefits as contract negotiations approach.

In prepared remarks and public comments, educators described rising out‑of‑pocket costs and asked the district to cover growing health‑insurance premiums rather than rely on one‑time bonuses. Amy Baron, a teacher with more than 20 years in the district, asked for a 2% increase specifically to offset rising medical insurance costs. "We are in need of a 2% increase to cover the rising medical insurance cost," she told the board.

Other teachers described having to downgrade family coverage or make painful tradeoffs to afford deductibles and childcare. Kimberly Penn, a special day class teacher of 25 years, said she had to select a lower‑tier insurance plan to remain insured and appealed for a "reliable, sustainable" on‑schedule increase rather than intermittent one‑time payments.

Union leaders and classified staff also spoke. Janelle Tanaka, speaking for Redondo Beach Teachers Association leadership, asked the board to meet educators in their work settings and to approach upcoming negotiations with urgency and respect. Mark Lewis, president of the California School Employees Association local chapter, echoed concerns about stagnant wages and rising health costs for classified staff.

Superintendent Dr. Nicole Wesley responded that the district leadership is ready to bargain but has not yet received formal negotiation proposals from associations. She said historically the district and associations have tried to complete bargaining early — often before Oct. 1 so employees return to school knowing their compensation — but that the district needs associations to provide available dates to begin the process. "We are eager and ready to get started because we want our employees to feel proud of working here and we want them to not have to struggle as outlined tonight," Wesley said.

Union representatives signaled differing timelines: the American Federation of Teachers speaker said their unit will begin negotiations in November; other associations said they were preparing proposals as well. Board members and district staff did not adopt any compensation changes at the meeting; several speakers said they expected negotiations to follow and asked the board to prioritize a sustainable, on‑schedule approach rather than one‑off bonuses.

Next steps: the district said it is standing by to begin bargaining once associations provide dates; both sides indicated a preference for reaching agreements earlier in the fall to allow raises to be in effect for the school year and to buffer employees from rising health‑insurance costs.