Classified union warns board of steep health-benefit increases, urges collaborative solutions

Representatives of Windsor Unified’s classified employees urged the school board May 15 to work with unions, the district and county insurance pools to mitigate an announced, double‑digit increase in health‑benefit rates set to take effect this fall.

Ross, president of CSEA Chapter 673, told trustees the county health plan (CBT) is implementing large premium increases and that many district classified employees — who earn less than certificated staff — could see their take-home pay fall substantially. “Some people will be losing more of their take‑home pay to pay for these benefits,” said Joseph Gomez, CSEA labor representative, who presented numbers showing “a double‑digit percentage increase” in premiums.

Nut graf: Union leaders said the increases are countywide and could force some employees to consider leaving district jobs; they urged the board to open a dialogue with employee organizations and regional partners to find ways to reduce the financial impact.

Union leaders asked the board to convene negotiations or working sessions to explore short-term relief and longer-term strategies, including collective bargaining, pooling larger employee populations to lower premiums, and exploring alternative benefit configurations. Trustee Bill Adams and others praised the idea of broader regional collaboration and suggested district leaders could explore multi‑employer pooling options to gain better purchasing power.

Ending: Trustees asked staff to continue dialogue with unions and county benefit administrators; union leaders said they would follow up with concrete proposals and seek a district‑union meeting to explore options.