Our members took some time to describe their reactions to today’s negotiations. Their words included disheartening, insulting, disappointing and disrespectful. You can see more commentary from today on our social media @chelseateachersunion1340.

After five months without a contract, we need a collective commitment to reach a fair agreement now. We will have child care and food available at our session on Wednesday. Please RSVP so we can prove to the district that Chelsea Teachers Union stands for living wages and humane leave, not disrespect and delay. Please use this template to send a message directly to the School Committee and Dr. Abeyta before our next session to prove that our membership will not be silenced.

Updates from 12/9

The district’s offer for clerks’ wages nearly met our proposal; we are about $1,300 apart on salary in the final year of the contract. Their verbal response made some movement on other language pieces.

And yet.

After 10 months of negotiations, the district’s current offer for paraprofessionals ends at a starting wage of $24.28/hr, or approximately $33,145.75 per year, with a top wage of $37.71/hr or approximately $51,480.83 per year. This is only $1,000 higher than their last offer and $4,000 behind CTU’s proposal.

After 13 negotiation sessions, the district’s current offer for educators of 13% is still 1% behind CTU’s proposal. The district is leaving us 1% behind our last contract, and $6,500 to $9,000+ behind Everett, Revere, and other surrounding districts.

After forty hours of bargaining at the table, the district is still capping guaranteed use of your own accumulated sick leave to care for ill family members at 35 days. For the first time, they raised concerns about implementing district-wide tracking of whether you are using sick time for yourself or a family member. Dr. Abeyta referenced members using sick days because “they didn’t feel like going to work.” Our members deserve respect and time to care for themselves and others, without their accumulated leave being held hostage by management’s low opinion of our membership. 

When we began this process CTU identified open negotiations as a priority to ensure transparency amongst the membership, and to make sure we are using our collective strength. It is clear that Dr. Abeyta fears speaking directly to our membership. The district is not taking our membership’s collective commitment to our proposals seriously. 

After five months without a contract, we need a collective commitment to reach a fair agreement now. We will have child care and food available at our session on Wednesday. Please RSVP immediately so we can prove to the district that Chelsea Teachers Union stands for living wages and humane leave, not disrespect and delay. Please use this template to send a message directly to the School Committee and Dr. Abeyta to prove that our membership will not be silenced.

In solidarity,

CTU Negotiating Team