Published On: November 20, 2024

NEW- BTU Elementary Field Rep. Special Election

The nominations for the Special Election of the Elementary Field Rep. position have been validated. Caitlin Gaffny will be on the ballot with a write-in option. Ballots are in the mail this week. Please keep a lookout for yours! Please fill the ballots out and return them immediately. They must be received by the Post Office by December 17th. In-person voting will be on December 18th from 8am-6pm at the BTU. Only BTU members currently serviced by the Elementary Field Rep. and RTC members serviced by the Elementary Field Rep. at the time of their retirement, will receive ballots and vote in this special election.

If you do not receive a mail-in ballot or need a replacement ballot, call the vendor hotline at (203)-403-8401.

You may contact ombudsperson Danielle Fraine with questions or concerns at eelecat electioncommittee@btu.org. Members are welcome to attend and ask questions at the start of election committee meetings. The next meeting is November 25 at 5 pm at the BTU. Members are welcome to attend and ask questions at the start of the meetings. Contact mfrank@btu.org with any questions about your membership status.
Dear Member,

We open this week’s e-Bulletin with good news! The BTU negotiates health insurance policies as part of a coalition of all city unions, known as the Public Employees Committee (PEC). The PEC was able to strike a deal to maintain the same terms for two years, which is a tremendous victory for City workers, in an era when employers often shift the cost of health insurance to workers. Last week, the BTU and other City of Boston unions finalized negotiations and signed an agreement to extend the terms of health insurance for BTU members, retirees, and other City of Boston employees with the same exact plan design and premium share for two more years, until July of 2027.

Negotiations Review and Preview

At the same time that we were able to guarantee stability in terms of health insurance costs, we are also continuing negotiations with Boston Public School management for a new contract for ALL members. At last Thursday’s negotiating session, the parties exchanged proposals related to the pay and schedule of BTU members assigned to the central office who work a longer work year than school-based employees and the establishment of a new COSE position to do initial evaluations.

Notably, BPS management submitted a proposal in response to the BTU’s persistent advocacy to establish a policy which requires the district to provide accurate working hours and pay information to all employees before the start of the school year. Management has repeatedly said it could not “operationalize” a system which tells employees their hours of work and rate of pay by the first day of school. Their offer was encouraging, but included a provision which would block the BTU from bringing disputes regarding the policy to arbitration. We will not relinquish our rights, but see a path forward with the district to reach an agreement.

At the same session, two additional bargaining sessions were scheduled for this week. Negotiations are scheduled for Thursday, 11/21 from 5-8 at the BTU, then Friday, 11/22 from 12-5:30 at the Bolling Building and again Saturday, 9-1 at the BTU. Please RSVP here to attend any of these sessions.  

Membership Meeting and Walk-ins

At last week’s membership meeting, attendees heard an update on negotiations, including the schedule of sessions and planned actions that BTU members can engage in to show their support for the negotiating team. At the meeting, members also debated and voted to pass a resolution brought by a group of rank-and-file educators requiring the BTU to call on Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren to support Sen. Bernie Sanders’ resolutions of disapproval in the Senate. The resolutions introduced by Sen. Sanders would block certain arms sales to Israel. Per the approved resolution, the BTU will also sign on to a letter with a number of national unions calling for an end to arms sales until a ceasefire is reached. As of the writing of this bulletin, Sen. Warren had indicated her support for Sen. Sanders’ resolutions of disapproval. We thank Sen. Warren for her support and encourage Sen. Markey to do the same.

Last week, BTU members at more than 15 schools participated in our largest walk-in action of the school year. These actions of solidarity and support have generated significant news coverage, (see the section BTU in the News at the bottom of this email), drawn the attention of BPS management and led to progress at the bargaining table. And we’re not stopping.

This week, more than 20 schools are registered to participate ahead of our negotiation session on Thursday, Nov. 21st. If your school wants to join an upcoming walk-in, please contact organizer Erika Kouka (ekouka@btu.org) as we have plans to continue to ramp up and use our voices to advocate for Boston’s students. Check out our social media accounts (Facebook & Instagram) for photos!

Our organizers provide materials for these walk-ins, and BTU staff members attend to support wherever possible, so advanced notice will allow the BTU central staff to help elevate your efforts. You can check out some of the news coverage we’ve received in the BTU in the News section on our website.

School Committee and Social Media Actions

All of these actions are a part of a larger strategy to reinforce how our contract can be a powerful tool for change for students, educators and the Boston Public Schools. We are encouraging every school building to participate in a social media action this week. Building reps should have received a physical “social media” picture frame for this purpose. Staff members can use this frame to take photos of themselves, write a caption describing individual experiences as a BPS employee and how the union’s contract priorities could address those challenges, and then post to individual social media accounts. The idea is to expand our reach and presence on social media to further elevate our fight to the public. You can find some tips on how to best use these frames here.

We are active in negotiations, walk-ins and on social media. We are also committed to using public testimony to engage the public. We are hoping to pack the School Committee meeting on Wednesday, December 4th with BTU members and our allies! We hope to present a sea of blue to the school committee to reinforce how much broad support our vision for BPS has across the city’s neighborhoods. School Committee starts at 6pm at BPS’ Bolling Building. Public comment is usually done by 8pm at the latest. Plan and recruit in your school buildings now and please sign up, share our 12/4 School Committee RSVP form here.
Join the BTU, parents and community members for a meeting to collaborate and set goals for next school year’s inclusion priorities. Register here!

BTU Events and Announcements
Inclusion Done Right Committee Fall Forum: November 19th, 5:30 – 7:30pm

Educators, families, and community partners are invited to a forum hosted by the BTU Inclusion Done Right Committee. The agenda for the forum is to plan and advocate for inclusion done right in the SY25-25 school budget. The forum has both an in-person and virtual option. In person is at the BTU Hall. Light dinner will be provided. Childcare and interpretation are available by request by November 12th. Registration is required for the virtual option to receive the Zoom link. Please RSVP for either option by November 12th at bit.ly/IDRForum.

Black Caucus Meeting: Tonight on Zoom, 6-7:30 pm The AFT Black Caucus, Boston Chapter monthly meeting is tonight on zoom. Please use this link to attend and learn more about the chapter’s goals and plans for this school year.

Racial Justice Standing Committee Meetings: First Tuesday of each month. The Racial Justice Standing Committee will meet the first Tuesday of every month from 5-7pm. This year, the committee has set two goals: 1) to provide racial justice training for building representatives; and 2) to create a protocol for union members and building reps on how to address racial harm. If you are interested in joining us, or if you would like to receive updates about this work, please contact co-chairs Lea Serena (lserena@btu.org) or Paul Tritter (ptritter@btu.org).

Para 101 PD for newly hired paraprofessionals: Multiple sessions in October, November and December

Para 101 is about building a community of paraprofessionals who are knowledgeable about their rights and are aware of the support and strategies that they can use to build stronger relationships with students and teachers in the classroom. Please see this flyer for all of the dates and details.

National Board Network: Why Boston Needs Accomplished Teaching- Tomorrow 5-6:30 NBCTs of the past, present or future and all educators committed to the quality of teaching are invited to join this interactive webinar on why Boston needs accomplished teaching. We will examine the NBPTS statement “Why America Needs NBCTs,” connect the body of knowledge on accomplished teaching to Boston’s priorities, and engage with a panel on why accomplished teaching matters here and now. You can register here!

November Unafraid Educators Meeting: Monday, 11/25, 4:30-6PM

Please join us at Fenway High on November 25th at 4:30 for our next Unafraid Educators Meeting! We are the BTU’s Immigrant Rights Organizing Committee, and work to support our students and families. At our next meeting we will create fundraising pages for the Unafraid Scholarship and continue working on the College Guide. We’ll have pizza, salads, and snacks for everyone.

Black Lives Matter at Schools Meeting: Tuesday, November 26

Black Lives Matter at Schools will meet at 5:30pm to prepare for the upcoming February Week of Action. This is the link to attend the Zoom meeting.

Boston Teachers Union Student Debt Clinic: December 3, 4:30-6:00pm

The BTU is continuing its series of webinars on college student debt support and relief programs. Please register ahead of time

Tremont CU & BTU Blood Drive: Wednesday, December 11th 11:00AM-5:00PM Tremont Credit Union and the Boston Teachers Union are joining forces with the Boston Children’s Blood Donor Center to host a community blood drive. Join us on Wednesday, December 11th, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at 180 Mt. Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125.

This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and help save lives. We recommend scheduling an appointment to ensure a smooth experience. Use this link and sponsor code TCU to sign up.

Get started on your National Board Journey!

A new range of supports are available to Boston educators this year. Check out this link to register and click here to check out our flyer.

Educators of Color Night: December 5, 4:30-7:30

Please join us for an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet other educators of color in the BPS. We’ll have resource tables, food and a DJ. This event is co-sponsored by the Boston Teachers Union, The Teachers’ Lounge & the Department of Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs. Register for the event here!

NEW-School Site Council Trainings: December 12th and 16th

Zoom your way into empowerment by attending workshops on SSC Basics; Budget Basics; & Personnel Subcommittees all from the comfort of your couch! Budget Basics trainings are held on Dec.12th & repeated Dec.16th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. If we want to have a leadership voice in our school’s community, we need to be informed. For further info contact Caren ccarew@btu.org and check out this document for more information

Scholarships for AFT Families: Deadline December 20th The AFT Massachusetts, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and unions across the Commonwealth are dedicated to teaching the next generation of trade unionists to build a strong and bright future for the working families of Massachusetts and beyond. As part of that work, the AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. The scholarships are awarded based on results of a labor history exam administered. You can find more details here
Join the BTU at the School Committee on December 4th for a show of solidarity in support of the vision laid out in our contract proposal!

Professional Learning & Development Updates

Each week, we have many new and exciting Professional Learning & Development opportunities to share with you. You can find a full description of each listing on our Professional Learning & Development Updates Page.

  • AFT Member Benefit Virtual Workshops
  • Degree Completion
  • Early Childhood Inclusive Education PD Series
  • Thinking Through Art Winter Institute
  • Connect & Share: “Implementing Reading Horizons to Support Student Needs”
  • Campus Without Walls – Teach in Exciting New Ways
  • Culturally Affirming Classrooms Book Talk by former BTU member
  • Telescope- Reflections and Connections: K0/K1 Focus Connect & Share
  • Emergent Literacy Learning Cohort Session 2 Dec 2, 4:30-6:00 PM on Zoom
Last Thursday, educators at the Lyndon School joined their union siblings at more than a dozen other school buildings for a day of walk-ins in support of the BTU’s contract proposal.
Community News & Events

Computer Science Education Week #BPSCoders Contest: December 2 – 20 2024 Computer Science Education Week #BPSCoders Contest (New!): Open to all BPS students grades K0-12. Visit bit.ly/bpscoders for info, rules, FAQ, and entry form. Entries are accepted Dec 2 – 20, 2024. Prizes will be awarded in each challenge by grade bands.
BTU in the News

The BTU received press coverage of last leek’s walk-ins on November 14th from: CBS Boston (twice) and Fox 25!

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