Published On: December 5, 2017
Executive Board Nov 2017

The BTU Executive Board and staff met in a retreat last week.

Good morning! We hope everyone is off to a great start to a new week. Last week was a busy one, and we’d like to share a few highlights with you:

On Tuesday, the BTU Executive Board attended a full-day retreat to discuss strategic priorities for the union and develop plans to strengthen the role of the board in supporting our collective goals.

That same day, we had a very successful Regional Meet and Greet with almost 100 members in attendance. Thank you to all who made it out to Cesaria’s! While we continue to hear from our members at our Meet and Greets and Listening Tour, please note that we have two more community forums coming up (see below), a community survey, and we have reopened the member survey.

Last Friday, most of our members finally received their hard-earned raises. Building Reps were sent a special bulletin that day with new FAQs to share with staff. If you are a Building Rep, please be sure to check that you received it and have sent it to staff.

Meet and Greet Nov 2017

BTU Organizing Director Farah Assiraj speaks to those gathered at last week’s Meet and Greet.

Read the salary grid clarification FAQs. All updated grids can be found on the BTU website.

Over the weekend, many of our members attended different labor and social justice events including the Dow Memorial Fund dinner, the Save TPS rally in front of the State House, the GBLC Futures Committee conference, and the North Shore Labor Council Women’s Solidarity Breakfast. From immigrant rights to public education to workers rights, these fights are all interconnected, and our union is proud to be a part of them.

There was, inevitably, some bad news over the weekend, as the Senate passed the #TaxScamBill that favors the wealthy over the working class. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), our national parent organization, wrote an op-ed that lays out many concerns. You can take action here.

Lastly, there has been much discussion about the possible changes in school start times. Please note that the School Committee plans to vote on this issue on Wednesday, and new times will be released prior to the BPS School Showcase on Saturday. We do not know which schools will be impacted. More details can be found on the BPS website.

Have a great week.

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