Bay Area

WCCUSD Educators Getting 14.5% Salary Hike Within 5 Months

West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) educators will see a total 14.5% increase in salary within the next five months, part of a three-year contract agreement with the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) that was ratified by UTR members on February 17, according to the school district. In statements, the school district called the agreement “historic,” saying it reflects the highest two-year total increase that WCCUSD has offered in more than 20 years.

Published

3 years ago

February 23, 2023

Oakland Post

Kennedy High School in Richmond. Photo courtesy of The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

In statements, the school district called the agreement “historic,” saying it reflects the highest two-year total increase that WCCUSD has offered in more than 20 years.

As part of the agreement, the district says it will additionally increase the dollar amount of benefits contributions to maintain employees’ current level of health coverage and buffer the rising cost of medical care; establish mental health as an approved reason for Personal Necessity Leave; and expand parental leave (see a summary of agreements incorporated in the contract at the bottom of this story).

“While financing this agreement was not easy, we are proud to offer this critical investment in our educators,” WCCUSD Superintendent Dr. Chris Hurst said. “We strongly believe that this is an ethical reimagination of our district priorities, investing in our students, schools, and programs by recruiting and retaining highly qualified classroom educators.”

According to the district, financing the agreement required “aggressive reallocation of resources” and will mean the district’s budget will undergo significant operational cuts.

The newly ratified deal with UTR followed contentious negotiations and averted a potential strike.

When an impasse in negotations was declared in December, the district had reportedly offered its educators a cumulative 10% raise by July this year, as well as equity-based salary adjustments for hard-to-staff positions that were far below market rate. The UTR countered with a cumulative 17% in the same period, and had additionally requested increases in the third year of the contract, tied to an expected increase in state funding.

In a statement last week, the California Teachers Association (CTA) lauded the new agreement as prioritizing both safety and educator pay. In addition to the 14.5% salary increase, the new contract requires that MERV-31 or HEPA filters are placed in all workplaces, incorporates procedures to document safety concerns and provides educators with trauma-informed de-escalation strategies, according to CTR.

The new deal also incorporates language pertaining to the development of a Community Schools model of education into the UTR contract, a first for CTA member associations. A Community Schools model is one that develops partnerships between a school and other community resources that support a child’s growth beyond the classroom, with an integrated focus on academics, social services, leadership and community engagement, according to the CTA.

According to the WCCUSD, the role of classroom educators in shared governance of Community Schools was a point of contention in contract negotiations. The district had previously proposed addressing incorporation of Community Schools in a separate document or Memorandum of Understanding.

UTR President John Zabala said the new contract agreement, which was approved by 72.84% of 1,182 voting UTR members on Friday, achieves the union’s priorities.

“This was only possible through the incredible organizing efforts that our union demonstrated this year. New leaders have emerged and stepped up, giving up their nights and weekends,” Zabala said. “It has been an honor to meet and work with our zone captains, our organizing team, and our picket captains. We owe them so much.”

Summary of Agreements Included in the 2022-2025 Contract Deal Between WCCUSD and the UTR (as provided by the district):

Increases in Compensation

A 14.5% salary increase over the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 contract years, broken down as follows:
- 7% for the 2022-2023 school year, retroactive to July 1, 2022, including a 1% salary increase that funds additional educator time for collaboration and assessment;
- 5% for the 2023-2024 school year, including 1.5% to fund 1 additional educator workday in the work year;
Increased dollar amount in benefits contributions in order to maintain employees’ current level of coverage and buffer the rising cost of medical care, amounting to the equivalent of another 1.06% of compensation each year for the next three years;
An increase of the educator overtime rate, from $33 per hour to $42 per hour; as well as an increase of the period subbing rate to $50 for secondary and $55 for elementary; and
Increased rate for required staff development.

Direct Efforts to Address the Educator Staffing Crisis

Removal of the limit on years of service that new employees can bring from another district;
Improvement to the value and function of teacher transfer rounds by providing a financial incentive for teachers who notify the District of retirement/resignation by February 1 of each school year;
Compensation at the hourly rate for nurses covering for the absence of another nurse; and
Compensation at 120% rate for nurses covering a higher caseload due to unfilled positions.

Recognition of Educators’ Work Beyond the Instructional Day

A self-directed, work-from-home compensated workday (an extraordinarily rare work benefit for K-12 teachers)
A salary increase of 3.5% for secondary teachers who teach more than three preps (that is, who have to prepare to teach more than three different courses);
Additional stipend for elementary teachers teaching combination classes;
One paid week of collaboration for Speech Language Pathologists; and
Additional stipends for teacher leadership positions, including Teacher in Charge, Community Schools Lead Teacher, World Languages Department Chair, Assistive Technology (WATR) Department Chair.

Commitment to Shared Governance of Schools:

A first in the state of California: Contractual language to maintain our educators’ partnership in shared governance of WCCUSD’s long-standing Community Schools initiatives, both at the district and school site levels; and
Continuation of the collaborative process for creating the professional collaboration calendar at every school.

Improvements to Educators’ Wellness and Safety:

Expansion of the approved reasons for Personal Necessity Leave to include mental health;
MERV-13 filters or HEPA air purifiers for all workspace;
Streamlined process for safety complaints;
Expansion of paid parental leave, from 2 weeks on top of FMLA leave to 3 weeks on top of FMLA leave; and
Removal of the sunset clause for parental leave.

Improvements to Teaching and Learning Environments:

Continuation of class size reductions that went into effect on July 1, 2022;
Reduction of class size for Career Technical Education classes;
Reduction of the counselor-to-student ratio at high schools, from 350:1 to 338:1; and
Improved safeguards for space in dance classes by establishing class size as a 6-foot radius per student within the assigned dance room, up to a maximum of 51 in large rooms.

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Marin City Public Housing Residents Demand a Voice in County’s Renovation Plans

Representation has been a continuous struggle for the Residents Council, she said in an interview with the Post News Group. In 2014, the tenants took the county to federal court over this issue, and prevailed, resulting in an MOU that was in effect from 2014 to 2024, said McLemore. “Now, they are not responding to our rightful requests to participate. They are not giving us a legal justification for their position.”

Published

2 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

The largest housing complex in Marin County, Golden Gate Village residents are for predominantly Black and low-income. Courtesy image.

Tenants say the County of Marin is ignoring federal law requiring resident council participation

By Ken Epstein

Marin City public housing residents say the County is illegally depriving them of their rights to participate in renovation decisions that affect the future of their housing, raising deep concerns over whether the county ultimately will find a way to displace them.

According to regulations established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Marin City public housing residents have the right to organize, elect resident councils, and hold public housing agencies accountable for involving them in management decisions.

Without resident participation, the Board of Housing Commissioners, made up of the five Marin County Board of Supervisors and two resident comissioners, has approved a $226 million project. The plan calls for renovation of the 296 units in Golden Gate Village (GGV) and focuses on interior improvements. The project is scheduled to start in July.

Residents’ concerns have a long history, said Royce McLemore, president of the Golden Gate Village Residents Council and a 50-year resident of Marin City,

With no current MOU mandating training and participation of residents, the legal basis for all the redevelopment decisions made by the county since 2024 is questionable, said Terrie Green, executive director of Marin City Climate Resilience. “We are experiencing voicelessness. If residents had a voice, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said.

County decisions include a plan, in line with federal regulations, to convert GGV from public housing to a public-private enterprise that allows for private investment. The Marin Housing Authority has created a limited partnership that includes Burbank Housing – which will renovate the units and manage the property – and Wells Fargo Bank, the investor.

This change in federal policy regarding public housing, which includes a shift to a Section-8 voucher system, has resulted in gentrification across the country, particularly affecting African Americans in cities such as San Francisco.

Shifts in criteria of what is considered affordable could also end up pricing residents out of their living units. At present, low income in Marin County is officially considered $156,000. But the median household income in Marin City is significantly lower at $68,846.

Damian Morgan, a community advocate with Marin City Climate Resilience, questioned why the county is renovating apartments without fixing toxic infrastructure that is impacting the lives of people in GGV.

Morgan said tenants have filed a class action lawsuit because of unsafe conditions at Golden Gate Village.

Residents are also concerned that the County still does not have an adequate family plan for temporary displacement while their apartments are being renovated. Although the County has suggested other community apartments as alternatives, nothing concrete has developed except vacant public housing units that have the same toxic conditions, such as mold and mildew.

Green said it doesn’t make sense. “…Why are we moving people around into temporary housing that’s uninhabitable, when you should be dealing first with the infrastructure, the foundational work, replacing old and rusted water pipes and new sewers.”

Morgan questions the County’s motivation for neglecting infrastructure repairs. “They’re remodeling the units but leaving the decayed infrastructure in place. I feel like they’re just setting this up for it to fail.”

“What slowed it down a little is that GGV is a historic preservation district, but I think what they’re striving for is demolition by neglect,” he said. “The neglect has always been on their part.”

Architect Ora Hatheway said her concern is about cutting corners. “You have to deal with the land issues. You have to deal with grading and drainage, and that’s being brushed under the rug.”

In an interview with KGO TV, Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters responded to some of these concerns. She said residents are guaranteed the right to return to their homes.

“This is a concern that we take seriously,” she said. “Every resident will move back into their own unit, and we’ve given this to them in writing. Before they leave their unit, we will sign a document together that guarantees their right to return.”

In response to residents who feel left out of the planning process, she said community input has focused on those affected by the first phase of the project. “So other residents may not have heard quite as much or felt like they had as much contact. But if there are residents who have concerns, we’re happy to hear from them. You can contact my office or the housing authority directly,” she said.

While County leaders may be giving some updates to some tenants, they are not sitting at the table with the Residents Council nor giving residents a voice in decision-making, said McLemore.

Without a voice in decisions, tenants are worried that Black people may be forced out of public housing, resulting in gentrification, she said in an interview with ABC 7. It’s still paternalistic, she said. “It’s still that ‘We know what’s best for you.’’’

Several years ago, the Residents Council proposed a land trust plan that would give tenants homeownership rights. Though the plan had broad support throughout the county, it was rejected by the Board of Supervisors

In the final analysis, Green said, for Marin City tenants the fight is not just for decent housing but to maintain their community with dignity under conditions of mutual respect.

“We’re talking about people who came here to work in the shipyards during World War II to bring about peace and safety to this country,” she said. “Look at the discrimination we’ve faced down through the years. Look at the life-span issue of Marin City folks – almost 20 years less than the rest of the County.”

“We want educational equity so our children will have decent schools. We need a land trust, property ownership, so we can have wealth creation. Marin City needs the same quality of life as other communities in Marin County.”

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

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2 days ago

May 10, 2026

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On the Frontlines of Hate: NAACP Links Victims to Critical Support

The NAACP CA/HI has a long and well-established record of supporting victims of discrimination and hate crimes — providing critical referrals and, when necessary, direct assistance through legal advocacy and other forms of support. Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2026

Oakland Post

NAACP members at a recent advocacy day in Sacramento urging lawmakers to protect voting rights. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program

Through that grant, NAACP CA/HI has strengthened its ability to connect individuals experiencing hate or discrimination with critical resources. This includes referring those who file complaints to the CA vs Hate hotline, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. The system helps ensure incidents are documented, and victims are guided toward appropriate support.

LaJuana Bivens says the work of NAACP is as urgent as ever. Photo by Regina Wilson, California Black Media.

LaJuana Bivens, who has served in a number of roles within the NAACP, said California has seen an increase in civil rights violations and hate-related incidents.

“We have 52 branches, and they are constantly receiving complaints,” she said. “So, without the Stop the Hate, we would not be able to refer those cases up to attorneys at the state level. A lot of the people would not have had an opportunity to be heard.”

Carmen-Nicole Cox helps survivors of hate with their legal options. Photo courtesy of Carmen-Nicole Cox.

Carmen-Nicole Cox, an attorney who works with NAACP CA/HI – as a part of California’s Stop the Hate Program – provides legal consultation to victims of hate incidents and discrimination through her legal practice, the Cox Firm for Law and Policy.

She said the complaints she receives span a wide range of issues.

“People are having home builders and landlords refusing to provide repairs, a student was denied promotion in an academic program, and targeted scrutiny at work,” she said. “It’s typically employment; it’s housing; it’s education.

“We’ll meet and they’ll share their experiences,” she said. “And then I make assessments about possible legal claims.”

According to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), nearly 1,200 reports of hate against minority groups were submitted in 2024 through the CA vs Hate hotline and online portal for non-emergency incidents.

While the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP, which has tens of thousands of members, does not directly investigate hate incidents or crimes, it plays a key role in connecting victims to the state’s reporting systems and support services.

Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Bivens recently traveled to Sacramento to speak with state lawmakers about voting rights during an advocacy day event hosted by the organization.

“It’s just so hard for communities of color to be up to date because of all of the confusing information coming from the federal level,” she said. “I love our great state of California because here it is possible to vote by mail and to vote early.

“And I’m seeing that trying to be eroded. So, I’m here to urge continued support for vote by mail and early voting.”

When Texas moved to redraw congressional districts in ways critics said would dilute minority voting strength, NAACP CA/HI supported the passage of Proposition 50 in California. The organization also intervened in United States v. Shirley Weber, where federal officials sought access to unredacted California voter records, including Social Security numbers, raising concerns about misuse and voter intimidation.

Cultivating the advocacy and leaderships of young people is central to NAACP’s mission to fight racism and dismantle inequality. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

A federal district court dismissed that case in January 2026.

The organization’s current work builds on a long history of civil rights advocacy. Today, Bivens says, the organization’s mission remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the oldest, boldest, most feared Civil Rights organization,” Bivens said. “What we do every day is fight for better housing, education, economic development and political inclusion. We take it on because there are just so many people who need that support.

“You would be amazed that our phones ring every single day.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

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