FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Contacts:
On behalf of the Boston Teachers Union
Ariel Sussman, 617-955-6463, Ariel@617MediaGroup.com
Jeff Hall, 617-281-8384, Jeff@617MediaGroup.com
Charter school educators in Boston win union contract
Equity, transparency, sustainability at heart of new pact with City on a Hill charter school
ROXBURY, MA – Educators at City on a Hill charter school in Roxbury, MA have reached a milestone in their effort to bring greater equity, transparency, and sustainability to their workplace. They have reached a tentative agreement on their first-ever labor contract with school executives. The agreement covers employees in roles such as classroom teacher, counselor, dean, and school nurse.
When educators at City on a Hill voted to join the Boston Teachers Union in 2018, they became the first Commonwealth Charter School in Boston to unionize. Now, the educators and City on a Hill management have reached an agreement that educators say will begin to address key challenges faced by the school’s employees and students.
“The priority for us as educators and as union members has always been our students,” Max McCullough, a History teacher and member of the bargaining team, who has worked at City on a Hill since 2013. “We knew that for the school to be sustainable, educators needed a voice, and we needed to achieve transparent and predictable compensation to retain the staff our students and their families already have relationships with.”
The charter school network will be consolidating its operations to a single campus in 2020, but its staff has remained committed to making essential improvements to working conditions through ongoing negotiations.
The new contract, expected to be ratified by union members at City on a Hill next month, will for the first time provide school staff with a voice on issues such as scheduling and professional development through a number of joint labor-management committees, along with important protections such as due process, a non-discrimination clause, and a grievance procedure.
It will also create an equitable and transparent salary schedule for the first time in the school’s history, one that includes step increases to recognize educators’ experience, and that will ensure all returning staff will see a 3.75% increase in their paychecks. Educators will also receive daily scheduled prep time to improve and to strengthen lesson planning while being compensated for their work hours.
“We hope that this contract will stabilize the staff after several years of heavy turnover,” said Emma Gebhard, a special education teacher, who has worked at City on a Hill since last year. “By forming our union and coming together for a voice, we have made incredible progress in this first contract, progress that we know will benefit students, families, and our community.”
“The reality is that the non-union charter school model in which educators are denied a voice simply does not work over the long-term,” said Boston Teachers Union Vice President Erik Berg. “Educators’ working conditions are the same as students’ learning conditions, so we are glad to have achieved these improvements that will benefit students as well as teachers. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with City on a Hill management to provide students the best possible education.”
“It’s a step in the right direction for the school community and we are very proud to be standing with these educators, families, and students in their effort to build a better future at City on a Hill in Roxbury,” said BTU President Jessica Tang. “The perseverance and dedication of these educators is incredible. Like all of our union educators, they care deeply about their students, their school, the families, and their community. They began this job to make a difference, and we believe this is a key step toward making that possible in a way that is sustainable and equitable, with a far greater degree of workplace transparency and a stronger voice for educators.”
Prior to efforts by staff to organize a union in 2018, the City on a Hill schools were confronting massive educator turnover due to issues including pay and working conditions, and also faced a correlating decline in student enrollment at multiple campuses. Educators believe that this agreement has the potential to reverse those declines.
City on a Hill staff knew they could receive better pay and benefits elsewhere, but many wanted to try to fix the charter school’s workforce problems for the benefit of future students, families, and workers. They knew the only way to do so was by having a voice through a union, which they voted for by an overwhelming margin when they joined the Boston Teachers Union.
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The Boston Teachers Union proudly represents more than 10,000 teachers and other professionals including school nurses, psychologists, guidance counselors, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers. Together, we advocate for the interests of students, parents and education professionals throughout Boston. We support investment in public education to ensure a stronger future for our students and our city. As a union of educators, we are part of a movement that seeks to improve the quality of life for all working people. We are united against all forms of prejudice and bigotry that would seek to devalue the lives or liberties of our students, families or colleagues.