Negotiation Updates, Fall Leadership Conference, and more

Published On: August 31, 2021

Welcome to all of our new BTU members!  We hope everyone is continuing to stay cool with the latest heat wave – particularly our students and educators already back in classrooms without AC! The majority of our schools will reopen next week and our weekly bulletins will commence then as well. Bulletins are usually sent early Tuesday mornings, except when there is a Monday holiday when it goes out on Wednesdays (like next week!). We also send additional special bulletins as needed.

Last week, we met twice with BPS to negotiate a reopening agreement for this school year. We meet again tomorrow and hope to have a signed agreement by the end of the week. As always, we are advocating for layered mitigation strategies including access to PPE, testing, vaccination and improved air quality for safety, as well as thoughtful and sensible plans for instruction, quarantines and Covid related leaves. Our silent representatives continue to join negotiating team members and staff, and have these latest summaries to share.

The first BTU membership meeting of this school year will be next week on Wednesday, September 8 at 4:30 p.m. (Per bylaws, it is always the second Wednesday of very month) It will be virtual on Zoom.  As always, registration in advance is needed to verify BTU membership and to receive the link.  We will be sharing important updates from our negotiations both for a safety agreement as well as our master contract. We will have important presentations about health and safety from BPHC and BPS Health services and other need to know information. 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.

Formal advocacy for an elected Boston School Committee is getting started! This November, the people of Boston will have the opportunity to vote on restoring their right to vote for School Committee. The BTU is proud to endorse this ballot question and be a member of the campaign’s Steering Committee. This will give us an opportunity to promote democracy and better advocate for our students and members. There will be many opportunities to support this campaign, starting on Boston’s preliminary election day, September 14. Join our growing volunteer list by using this form!

Join us virtually to meet the BTU Endorsed Candidates for Boston City Council tomorrow at 6 p.m.! Please fill out this form ASAP to register for this event. A Zoom link will be sent before the event once BTU membership has been verified. We look forward to seeing you there!

Vaccinations are your best protection for in-person learning: Please be sure to visit btu.org/vaccines for the latest updates on COVID-19 vaccines, including upcoming vaccination sites and other information for both staff and students. We urge all who are eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to wear masks indoors. The city mandate for uploading vaccination status or submitting weekly testing has begun and must be completed no later than Sep 20.

Our work is hard, and it is critical that we each attend to our own well being as we prepare for the new school year. Now in its fourth year, Educators Thriving helps you understand the five pitfalls that lead to burnout, and develop a plan using concrete strategies to address it. See the flyer and apply today!

Save the date for our Fall Leadership Conference! Join us October 22 – 24 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, NH. Our theme this year is “Be Water: Power, Unity, Flexibility & Strength”. Free and open to all BTU members! Registration coming soon.

Lastly, before we start a new school year, we wanted to address an incident that happened on the last day of school at the Condon Elementary School.  Without our prior knowledge, members of SEIU 888 decided to take an action at the school, including passing out flyers about the school with unverified information that disrupted the day, caused harm and fear for both students and educators, and further inflamed a number of challenges at the school. While we fully support unions standing up for members, we do not condone actions that are harmful to the school community and that involve our members without their consent.  We have since met with the leadership of Local 888 and hope that no future harm will be caused to the school community as we support the staff in addressing the challenges and moving forward to repair, reconcile and heal from the last school year. We continue to stand committed to racial justice at all of our schools, including the Condon.

Don’t forget: Do we have your correct mailing address on file? It is important to us that we are able to reach all of our members by phone, mail or email. Please check here to make sure we have your correct information.

Share This Story!

Published On: August 31, 2021

Welcome to all of our new BTU members!  We hope everyone is continuing to stay cool with the latest heat wave – particularly our students and educators already back in classrooms without AC! The majority of our schools will reopen next week and our weekly bulletins will commence then as well. Bulletins are usually sent early Tuesday mornings, except when there is a Monday holiday when it goes out on Wednesdays (like next week!). We also send additional special bulletins as needed.

Last week, we met twice with BPS to negotiate a reopening agreement for this school year. We meet again tomorrow and hope to have a signed agreement by the end of the week. As always, we are advocating for layered mitigation strategies including access to PPE, testing, vaccination and improved air quality for safety, as well as thoughtful and sensible plans for instruction, quarantines and Covid related leaves. Our silent representatives continue to join negotiating team members and staff, and have these latest summaries to share.

The first BTU membership meeting of this school year will be next week on Wednesday, September 8 at 4:30 p.m. (Per bylaws, it is always the second Wednesday of very month) It will be virtual on Zoom.  As always, registration in advance is needed to verify BTU membership and to receive the link.  We will be sharing important updates from our negotiations both for a safety agreement as well as our master contract. We will have important presentations about health and safety from BPHC and BPS Health services and other need to know information. 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.

Formal advocacy for an elected Boston School Committee is getting started! This November, the people of Boston will have the opportunity to vote on restoring their right to vote for School Committee. The BTU is proud to endorse this ballot question and be a member of the campaign’s Steering Committee. This will give us an opportunity to promote democracy and better advocate for our students and members. There will be many opportunities to support this campaign, starting on Boston’s preliminary election day, September 14. Join our growing volunteer list by using this form!

Join us virtually to meet the BTU Endorsed Candidates for Boston City Council tomorrow at 6 p.m.! Please fill out this form ASAP to register for this event. A Zoom link will be sent before the event once BTU membership has been verified. We look forward to seeing you there!

Vaccinations are your best protection for in-person learning: Please be sure to visit btu.org/vaccines for the latest updates on COVID-19 vaccines, including upcoming vaccination sites and other information for both staff and students. We urge all who are eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to wear masks indoors. The city mandate for uploading vaccination status or submitting weekly testing has begun and must be completed no later than Sep 20.

Our work is hard, and it is critical that we each attend to our own well being as we prepare for the new school year. Now in its fourth year, Educators Thriving helps you understand the five pitfalls that lead to burnout, and develop a plan using concrete strategies to address it. See the flyer and apply today!

Save the date for our Fall Leadership Conference! Join us October 22 – 24 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, NH. Our theme this year is “Be Water: Power, Unity, Flexibility & Strength”. Free and open to all BTU members! Registration coming soon.

Lastly, before we start a new school year, we wanted to address an incident that happened on the last day of school at the Condon Elementary School.  Without our prior knowledge, members of SEIU 888 decided to take an action at the school, including passing out flyers about the school with unverified information that disrupted the day, caused harm and fear for both students and educators, and further inflamed a number of challenges at the school. While we fully support unions standing up for members, we do not condone actions that are harmful to the school community and that involve our members without their consent.  We have since met with the leadership of Local 888 and hope that no future harm will be caused to the school community as we support the staff in addressing the challenges and moving forward to repair, reconcile and heal from the last school year. We continue to stand committed to racial justice at all of our schools, including the Condon.

Don’t forget: Do we have your correct mailing address on file? It is important to us that we are able to reach all of our members by phone, mail or email. Please check here to make sure we have your correct information.

Share This Story!

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