| Senate Votes on Retirement Plus
On Thursday, the MA Senate voted unanimously to pass legislation sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda which would allow thousands of teachers to buy into the state’s Retirement Plus program! This comes after the House already voted to approve it, and on the heels of 9 years of advocacy by the BTU and our members — a group of dedicated BTU and AFT Massachusetts members recognized this inequity years ago and formed the Committee for a Fair Fix to R+ and have been advocating since to rectify the situation.
What happens next?
The two chambers will establish a committee of members from the House and Senate to examine the bills, negotiate over differences, and agree upon a final version that could be presented to the respective chambers for a final vote. If the House and Senate pass this version, it goes to Governor Maura Healey’s desk.
What are the differences between the House & Senate versions of the bill?
The biggest difference between the two bills is the amount of interest a teacher who chooses to opt-in to the Retirement Plus program would have to pay. The MA Senate version would require anyone who joins the program to pay a make-up contribution equal to the amount they would have contributed if they had chosen to join prior to July 1, 2001, plus actuarial assumed interest. The House version does not require re-entry payments to include actuarial interest. The conference committee will need to resolve this difference, and the BTU will advocate for a reasonable rate of interest so the program is accessible to members. We will keep you updated on any movement on the bill from Beacon Hill.
Boston City Council Passes BPS Budget
On Wednesday, May 27th, the Boston City Council lauded the BTU and AFT Massachusetts for hosting its 40th annual Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel Conference this past spring. The City Council recognition, introduced by Councilor Julia Mejia, celebrated the BTU and AFT MA for filling the gap of professional development opportunities available for the lowest-paid workers in school districts across the state.
A few hours later, the City Council passed a budget that guaranteed more than 350 student-facing jobs, including more than 100 paraprofessional positions, will disappear next school year. We applaud the 5 councilors who voted to oppose this budget, which is inadequate to meet the needs of our students.
Since January, BTU members have organized rallies, marches, letter-writing campaigns, meetings with City officials and spent hours testifying in City Hall and on Beacon Hill. Our focus now needs to be at the state level — Massachusetts is sitting on an $800 million surplus in funds from the millionaire’s tax, and we believe that funding can go a long way in to restore vital staff positions in schools across the Commonwealth.
End of Year Party
On Thursday, June 18th, the BTU is hosting an End-of-Year Olympics-themed party for members only at the BTU hall from 3:30 to 7:30pm. BTU Olympians can choose to compete for prizes such as gift cards, BTU swag, Apple products and more! Come by the BTU next Thursday to connect with colleagues and blow off some steam. This party is for adults only.
Pride Parade Recap
The BTU and AFT Massachusetts marched in this past weekend’s Boston Pride for the People Parade. More than 60 members spent Saturday marching to celebrate our LGBTQ+ members and students as well as reiterate our commitment to creating a welcoming environment in our schools to every student. Check out our Facebook page to see all the photos and videos from Saturday! |
