Castro Valley Teachers to Protest Retiree Benefit Cuts

Submitted by Matt Johanson

Castro Valley Teachers Association members will demonstrate outside the Castro Valley Unified School District office on [tonight] 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.Castro Valley teachers oppose the recent CVUSD decision to cut Medicare supplemental payments to 93 retired teachers and 18 current teachers.

These teachers hired before 1986, who did not earn Medicare benefits through their employment when they began working in the district, have received a negotiated monthly Medicare supplement of $226 upon reaching age 65.

CVTA has attempted to negotiate continued benefits for the teachers and objects to the CVUSD action that will cost retirees on fixed incomes some $2,712 per year each. These 111 retired and current teachers served Castro Valley schools for an average of 30 years each.

However, CVUSD continues to pay $2,549 in monthly health benefits to former Superintendent James Fitzpatrick, who worked in CVUSD for 14 years.

“We think it's atrocious to cut these benefits to teachers who served the Castro Valley community for decades and we're eager to work with the district to achieve a mutually agreeable solution,” said Green.