Given that the strike is illegal it probably won’t be very long

Both sides are slow to post, but the statement from the school committee mentions step increases for staff like it's a gift. That's literally a basic minimum expectation that staff climb steps, unless they added steps...which, again, kind of a bare minimum to keep salaries growing once people hit the max.

Best I can do is 10% over 3 years but adding additional working days, which is one of but not the only issue.

In the old contract they got 2% a year which is quite frankly an insult. This is also one of the lowest salary grids I've seen in the state.

No fucking wonder they're striking.

Folks should also keep in mind that contract issues are often about more than pay. Adding 5 additional working days of PD that claim to be about "educator choice" but are often mind-numbing admin bloat is an additional 3% of working days and also pretty much universally considered a waste of time. And I'm willing to bet there are serious issues with class sizes and other working conditions beyond pay/days worked.

EDIT: They haven't had a real contract since 2020. Most districts (like mine) signed 1-year MOAs at our old salary increases. These staff have not had ANY raises since 2021, and have only increased their salaries by 2% over the last 2.5 years.

The Mayor wants to keep starting pay for Paras at $22k/ year.

This is from a letter in support of teachers that I along with other parents signed when people were asking for signatures:

Standard Salary Increase - A fair salary increase of 3-3-3 or 5-2-2 over the next three years will continue to support Woburn as a top City for people and businesses to invest in, and simultaneously support and maintain the City’s Moody’s AAA Bond rating. Neighboring towns are offering teachers better salaries, health insurance and even inflation adjustments. Woburn needs to maintain a strong competitive edge, to retain top talent, especially as the more senior teachers begin to retire. The business continuity of Woburn is dependent upon a strong educational system. Families choose to stay, or move depending on the educational opportunities. Businesses take in a City’s educational offerings when determining what locations to operate out of. Fiscally sound businesses, who are looking to retain top talent, do not want to open up locations in a place with poor educational opportunities. One only needs to speak to local HR recruiters for the top employers in our state, to see where they would recommend their talent purchases a home.

Smaller Classroom Sizes - This past year, during the middle of the school year, the Malcolm White Elementary School had to have the Fifth Grade Classes split up and re-organized from two to three classrooms. Parents/Caregivers feel as if there are additional education consequences from this, especially after the challenges of the past two years. Since the 1980s, multiple studies, including those conducted by the Brookings Institute and AASA, have shown that a smaller class size is incredibly beneficial to both students and faculty, with an average recommendation of 1:15 student to teacher ratio.

PE Twice a Week for K-5th Graders - Younger kids need to move, not only for their physical health but mental health too. There is one day a week in the Elementary School’s schedules where no specials occur, this would be the perfect opportunity to add in additional physical education for the children

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Support - The essential resources needed to address the social and emotional needs of the students must be the highest priority. Along with the unprecedented stress caused by the Pandemic, many students also face additional challenges. For example, at the Malcolm White in 2021, 24.7% of the student population did not have English as their first language, and 16.8% were English Language Learners. This is similar for other schools within the City, and highlights a large student population dealing with multiple stressors. By better supporting the teachers (and thus the students), it will benefit the City through higher test scores and graduation rates.

The rest is just back and forth between WTA and Mayor. The boys & girls club said they’ll be open Monday if school closes.

Galvin is too busy giving kickbacks. He also used his position to cover up a DUI when he crashed a city vehicle in one of his earlier terms as Mayor.

speaking truth in here

Long enough to get a contract in Brookline.

We need more schools to do this.

They are. Haverhill, Malden, Brookline and Melrose already. Most unions work on three year contract cycles, so we’re going to keep seeing these very contentious renegotiation break downs as contracts come up for renewal the next two years and teachers and support staff try to get CoL raises that match what’s happened with inflation and housing prices in greater Boston since the start of the pandemic.

> Sucks all around.

not for the kids it doesnt

It was a day here. I speak from experience

Are the 3-3-3 and 5-2-2 numbers asks for percent salary increases?

$22k/yr? Sandwich artists make more. Baristas make more. Amazon drivers make more.

This kind of pay for paraprofessionals is disgraceful.

Not to mention his hateful statement to the educators "You are all replaceable". This is not bargaining in good faith. He should remember that he too is replaceable.

Right??

“The people helping my kids grow into great human beings aren’t worth more than $11/hr.”

Woburnians, y’all need to check on your water quality again.

Yeah, but do the sandwich artists, baristas, or Amazon drivers get the pleasure of being bitten, scratched, or tending to the bathroom needs of youth dealing with unaddressed mental health issues?! I don’t think so.

/s

Yes, that's how the breakdown is.

I'm not in Woburn and admit I'm confused about the 3-3-3 ask if the SC has already presented 10 over the course of the contract...unless the union presented an original 3-3-3-3 that had other asks in it.

5-2-2 is a "benefit now, less later" deal because the retro raise would be higher. A higher retro check would slightly soften the blow of having to wait so long for it.

> Not to mention his hateful statement to the educators "You are all replaceable".

It is insanity that school leaders think this in a post-pandemic world. If they think teachers are replaceable they might want to look at their SchoolSpring postings.

Our principal likes to blame staff for poor school culture...maybe because they fire people who may not have been the best teachers in Year 1 without giving them a chance, and would rather leave unfilled positions open as a result.

Somerville just fought and won to get a $35k starting salary which triggered a lot of local school unions to start fighting for a better salary, among other things.

Is that for paras? No way the starting salary for a teacher in Somerville is 35k.

Yes paras.

Well, it depends on the Dunkin'...

It's more likely he'd be replaced before the teachers. Mayors don't last 30 years. (Well, except in Waltham.)

5-6 years is more typical for Woburn, but Galvin has been in office since 2010