Teamsters and TCS employees urge board to address wage compaction

Several employees and union representatives addressed the board during public comment to urge equitable treatment in collective bargaining. Speakers said other bargaining units received wage increases while Teamsters and TCS were offered none, resulting in compaction that reduces the pay gap between supervisors and front-line staff and undermines retention.

One commenter said bargaining requests were repeatedly unanswered and members were later offered 0% increases despite having been approved for bargaining nearly the same time as other units. Wendell Burt, identifying himself as a shop steward for Teamsters Local 150, told trustees: "We're asking for equal treatment and fair treatment." Danny (Danny Stowers) described early-morning shifts, long hours and the essential role custodial and operations staff play in keeping schools safe and ready; he asked the board to "support and agree that provides Teamsters and TCS the same fair treatment afforded to other bargaining units." Kat Avendano, speaking for multisite supervisors, described supervising more than 300 employees across 80 sites and asked the board to address salary compaction to value leadership and retain experienced supervisors.

Board members acknowledged the comments and said they heard concerns about fairness and retention. Several trustees encouraged continued negotiation in good faith and noted budget constraints the district is navigating. Public testimony emphasized the human consequences of compaction—recruitment difficulty, morale and workload pressure for positions described as hard to staff.