| Dear Member,
Welcome back! We hope you all had an opportunity to rest, relax and reconnect with loved ones over the Thanksgiving break. We’re all going to need the energy as we have a packed December ahead of us which presents multiple opportunities to further our fight to settle a fair contract with BPS management.
School Committee Meeting
The first step happens this Wednesday, December 4th from 6pm to 8pm during the Boston School Committee meeting at the Bolling Building. After roughly 10 months at the bargaining table and over 90 days of working under an expired contract, management has still failed to respond adequately to our priority proposals, especially around inclusion. No matter how many hours we spend at the bargaining table, the only way to get closer to a fair agreement is to demonstrate unity and resolve as a membership.
This is a perfect opportunity to make your voice heard and to remind the School Committee, the Superintendent and the Mayor that the BTU has the backing of educators, families and the community. Tell your colleagues, friends, family and neighbors about December 4th! You can direct them to btu.org/engage so they can endorse our contract and write a letter to the Superintendent. Please register here if you plan to attend in-person on December 4th.
Arbitration Settlement: Inclusion Planning Periods
On Monday, the BTU reached an agreement in concept with BPS to settle an arbitration related to a grievance filed more than two years ago regarding the 48-minute weekly period for inclusion teachers to complete IEP paperwork. The BTU is now seeking to record the names of all members who could be affected by this ruling so that they may be properly compensated.
In our last round of contract negotiations we won the following language:
“If practicable in the school schedule, teachers who meet the requirements for student IEPs, using both a general education or ESL license and special education license will be afforded one additional 48-minute period per week for special education paperwork, in addition to pre-existing contractual P&D and CPT time. If the period is not available, the teacher can be compensated for up to 48 minutes per week.”
If you taught under two licenses at the same time in either of the last two school years and did not receive the extra period or payment please let us know by emailing BTU Vice President Lea Serena at lserena@btu.org.
On another note, if you are a substitute teacher who has been assigned before December 1st to a long-term position which is known to last until the end of the school year, then you are entitled to the full pay of a provisional teacher. If you are in this situation and have not been offered a provisional contract or have questions, please reach out to BTU Substitute/Para/ABA Field Representative Colleen Hart at chart@btu.org. We want to make sure your commitment is rewarded and that you are paid what you are legally owed.
Membership Meeting, upcoming Walk-ins and Tax Relief Support
Our next membership meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11th from 4:30 to 6:30. Among other things, we will provide a recap of the Dec. 4th School Committee meeting, a preview of walk-ins scheduled for the following day and provide updates on negotiation strategy moving forward. Please let us know if you need childcare during the meeting. As a reminder, the next negotiation session is also scheduled for Dec. 12th. Please register ahead of time to let us know if you can attend!
As mentioned above, the BTU is organizing another round of walk-ins on Dec. 12th. We are also asking ALL BTU members to wear their BTU shirt on December 12th. For our first round of walk-ins at the beginning of the school year, roughly 10 schools participated. Last week, more than 25 schools held walk-ins or walk-outs. Rest assured, our calls for a fair contract are reaching the ears of those who need to hear them. We have received consistent news coverage from local media (check out our BTU in the News page for examples) and BPS management has changed their mentality towards previously off-limit issues within the past few months.
If your school is interested in participating in future walk-ins, then please contact BTU organizer Erica Kouka (ekouka@btu.org). We ask that you register to participate as far in advance as possible because the BTU office coordinates to provide materials and staff support at each action whenever possible.
Finally, we would like to reiterate our support for Mayor Michelle Wu’s home-rule petition bill which is currently before the statehouse. The bill seeks to address an expected spike in property tax rates for individual homeowners by passing some of that cost onto commercial properties. It is important to emphasize that under this bill, commercial properties would not be subject to increases but rather would receive a less substantial tax break if the measure passes. The bill has been endorsed by the business community in Boston and provides a reasonable compromise which considers the unique financial situation facing both business and homeowners in Boston.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to pass the measure earlier this month, but Sen. Nick Collins of South Boston raised an objection on Monday which delayed the measure’s consideration by the Senate until Thursday. We strongly encourage all BTU members to call your local Senators and express your support for the tax reclassification tax proposal, H5099. Our members, especially those who are retired, could be forced into precarious financial situations if this bill does not pass. |
