The union’s bargaining team arrived at last night’s session prepared to negotiate over parental leave for all units. Though the Committee posted the meeting for all units, they refused to discuss anything other than Unit A proposals, most of which they continued to reject out of hand.
With 5 full days to review the MEA modified proposal, management presented only these 3 changes:
They proposed the word “may” instead of “shall,” regarding the total number of MEA members on a district Safety Committee. They refused to agree to language that says this committee “will” do anything or be held accountable to the community.
They increased the number of paid parental leave days in their response from 10 to 12, and framed these additional 2 days as a “20% increase”. Their proposal still discriminates against the parents of children born over the summer and non-birth parents. It does not reflect an appreciation for the critical importance of a parent bonding with a new child.
They increased their salary proposal in years 1 and 3 of the contract, raising their total three-year offer from 4% to 6%, for all members who are not at the top salary step. Top salary step members would receive 9%. This wage offer would only exacerbate the catastrophic turnover schools are experiencing and keep Marblehead educator salaries significantly behind other districts in the region. Inflation alone during the last contract was 16.9% (2021-2023). Marblehead Public Schools’ salaries were already lagging behind neighbors and peer districts due to chronic underfunding, and this financial offer is effectively a pay cut. Even if the Committee offered 9% in the first year of this deal, when accounting for projected inflation in 2024, their offer would not even make up for half of the erosion of wages since 2021.
This offer is the first the Committee has made since they received the MEA’s in June, and completely contradicts their previous position in bargaining that no additional money is available in the first year of the deal. The Committee still has not provided an answer as to how they will work with them and the community to ensure that Marblehead Public Schools offers wages that are competitive with their neighbors on the North Shore.
It is essential that Marblehead Public Schools be able to attract and retain highly qualified staff, and the MEA is committed to that end. In contrast, the School Committee remains intent on dividing our membership and intensifying the existing staffing crisis in our schools.