Teachers, union leaders press Berryessa trustees over pay and spiking health costs

Dozens of public commenters pressed the Berryessa Union School District board on teacher pay, benefits and classroom staffing during the Nov. meeting.

Joe Herman, president of the California Teachers Association of Berryessa, said bargaining has failed to resolve several issues including rising health costs and contract language for class size and prep time. "Management has proposed a 0% pay increase," Herman said, summarizing the district's current offer and framing it as out of step with local living costs. He told trustees that since April CTAB has negotiated six times and that management rejected the "vast majority" of CTAB proposals, while teachers saw health insurance premium increases "of up to 117%."

Teachers and union representatives outlined several concrete requests: control health‑care costs (including restoring higher caps on family plans), a market‑aligned wage increase to keep educators in San Jose area schools, smaller K–3 class sizes and added paraeducator support for special‑education classrooms. Brooktree third‑grade teacher Christy Gurney described switching to a higher‑deductible plan when district caps didn't increase, saying the change left her family exposed to as much as $6,000 in out‑of‑pocket costs for urgent care. "The monthly premiums for this plan increased a 117% in October," she said.

Several classified employees and Teamsters representatives also asked the board to include respect and fair treatment in contracts, and to prioritize wages so classified staff can afford to live locally. Grounds worker Connor Wilson noted median two‑bedroom rent in San Jose and said many district workers rely on multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Board members did not take action on bargaining demands during the meeting; public comment was recorded for the board and bargaining teams to consider during ongoing negotiations.