WJUSD reaches contract agreements, pay raises with teachers and staff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 2, 2022
Contact:
Jerry Jimenez, Public Information Officer, jerry.jimenez@wjusd.org, (530) 406-3170
WOODLAND, Calif. - The Woodland Joint Unified School District reached contract agreements with significant pay increases for both teachers and staff in June.
Under the new contracts, both groups of district employees, represented by the Woodland Education Association (WEA) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 118, will receive 10-percent pay raises, with 6 percent the first year and 4 percent the second year.
The contracts exceed what both bargaining groups initially requested during negotiations. Both groups will also receive one-time stipends totalling $4,000 by September 30, 2023.
Other items include improved health benefits and increased professional development days.
“At WJUSD we have high-quality teachers and high-quality staff,” said Superintendent Elodia Ortega-Lampkin. “It’s vitally important that we attract and retain our hardworking, talented, and dedicated employees. I’m proud that we came together to make this happen as we continue to make WJUSD a career destination of choice.”
The Board of Trustees approved the contract agreement for teachers (WEA) on June 16 and the agreement for classified staff (CSEA) on June 30.
“When I was a WJUSD student, I had the blessing of being taught and supported by extremely talented professionals,” said WJUSD Board President Jake Whitaker. “Many of them worked here for multiple decades. They committed their careers to our community and our students. That is what we must strive for. This year we had the opportunity to reward our hard-working employees with significant raises and help address our declining competitiveness in the labor market—and to do it in a way that is fiscally sustainable.”
During the school board meeting on June 16, 2022, Jennifer Drewek, President of the Woodland Education Association (WEA), said, “We would like to acknowledge and appreciate the board's continued investment in providing the best for Woodland students, because Woodland students deserve the best.”
Brandi Bolden, President of CSEA Chapter 118, said negotiations were mutually beneficial and applauded the new contract.
"We feel that through negotiations both sides had a better opportunity to understand one another's needs and where the other was coming from,” said Bolden, who is also a library technician at Plainfield Elementary School. “We are incredibly thankful to the district for their efforts this year to improve classified staff's salaries and benefits. With inflation and gas prices on the rise, this will help make a difference in our members' lives. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the district to better the lives of our members, students, and community."
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WJUSD proudly serves nearly 10,000 students from preschool through adult education in the communities of Woodland, Knights Landing, Yolo, and Zamora.
Web: www.wjusd.org Twitter: @WoodlandSchools
Facebook: @WoodlandCaSchools Instagram: woodland_schools
