Published On: January 4, 2022

First of all, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year, though we know that the situation is less than happy at the moment. We hope you all had a restorative week off. We have a lot planned for the year ahead, and are looking forward to working with all of you to strengthen our union and better our schools.

We know that there continue to be many concerns about staffing shortages for tomorrow and the upcoming weeks. We have been calling for a plan in advance to cover for staff absences given the rise of COVID-19 cases in Boston, along with a transparent and equitable protocol for when schools must be closed or shifted to remote learning. We have also called for pool testing in all schools, including those who were supposed to have it on Monday. We heard your concerns that CIC and DESE are refusing to test staff as part of their test and stay program, and we have called upon them to change that dangerous and misguided policy.

We also know that many of you picked up test kits with an expiration date of November 2021 from schools yesterday, and we heard last night that those can be exchanged tomorrow for rapid tests that are not expired. We have also heard concerns about the efficacy of the masks that DESE distributed; DESE has assured us that the masks are effective. However, we will continue to look into the situation, but we absolutely encourage all staff and students to wear KN95 masks or similar masks, as they have been shown to be most effective in protecting the wearer from the omicron variant. Finally, the BPHC tells us that they are continuing to study the new CDC guidelines that reduce quarantine time to 5 days. At this time, there is no change from the previous BPS and BPHC policy requiring 10 days of quarantine.

We recognize the uncertainty and anxiety that you are feeling and have the utmost gratitude and appreciation for the courage, perseverance and unswerving dedication that BTU members continue to show for their students throughout these turbulent times.

Our next membership meeting is next Wednesday, January 12 at 4:30 p.m. It will be virtual on Zoom. As always, registration in advance is needed to verify BTU membership and to receive the link.

Quick reminders for registering: 

  • Please remember that you must register at least one hour in advance, or you will not receive a link.  
  • Each link is unique and cannot be shared.
  • Links are sent after your registration and membership status are verified – please do not register multiple times if you do not immediately receive a link.
  • Remember to include your exact BPS ID# in order to expedite approvals. If you are retired or don’t have an ID# for another reason, please enter “000000″.
  • Please make sure that you have updated your Zoom account with the latest update before the meeting in order to avoid complications with your link.

As you know, the City of Boston has mandated that city employees get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our legal counsel has advised us that the City has the right to make the decision to mandate vaccination. With that said, we have demanded to bargain over the impacts of the policy and our Union will advocate for appropriate exemptions for medical and religious reasons, for adequate access to vaccination, and a timeline that works for our members. We will keep you posted on the progress of these discussions.

As you may have heard, a group has proposed a plan to close Charlestown High School, displacing all current employees, and re-open as an innovation school. The steering committee is seeking input about this plan. We encourage you to express your opinion using the linked form as soon as possible.

Finally, our retired members may have noticed that you received your December retirement stub absent of deductions. This was a glitch, and it will be rectified. The City will be sending out letters in this regard sometime this week. 

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