Press release on filing for mediation with the EAW

 with of course no comment

WORCESTER – Friday, May 5, 2023 – Today, the Worcester School Committee filed a petition for the appointment of a mediator from the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations to assist in reaching a contract settlement with the Educational Association of Worcester (EAW), the union for teachers in the Worcester Public Schools (WPS). The current offer would provide an average salary increase of 18.3% for teachers.

The district’s latest offer, made on Tuesday, included significant wage increases and longevity benefits for teachers by offering an additional $40.5 million over four years. This will result in wage increases between 15% and 19.4% for all teachers, including additional compensation for educators with more than 10 years of experience; and a substantial increase in hourly pay for after-school and summer work, from $37 to $60 an hour.

The 15% across-the-board increases would take place over four years. There would be a 4% raise for year 1, 4% for year 2, 3% for year 3, and 4% for year 4.

EAW rejected the School Committee’s most recent teachers’ contract offer without a counterproposal. The EAW has also not moved forward with a contract agreement for paraeducators even though the major wage terms of that deal have been established since January.

For paraeducators, the district is proposing an entry-level (step 1) salary increase of up to $14,000 annually, one-time payments of up to $1,500 each for all paraeducators, an increase in hourly pay for summer work from $17.50 to $25 an hour, and newly created stipends for additional work during school hours.

“The Worcester School Committee has repeatedly proposed sizable wage increases for our dedicated teachers and continuously engages in good-faith bargaining,” said Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “We are requesting a state-appointed mediator so that our hard-working educators do not wait any longer for the fair and competitive compensation package they truly deserve.”

For a current educator at the top of the salary scale with a master’s degree who works 185 days a year:

Their salary will increase from $85,647 now to $99,232 over four years.

If they have an additional 30 college credits, their salary will increase from $89,276 to $103,436 over four years.

In addition, the district is proposing significant increases in longevity payments as outlined below:

• For teachers who have worked for WPS for 10 years, their longevity payment would increase from $1,144 now to $2,000.
• For 15 years, it would increase from $1,665 now to $2,500.
• For 20 years, it would increase from $2,185 now to $3,000.
• For 25 years, it would increase from $2,705 now to $4,000.
• For 30 years, it would increase from $3,225 now to $6,000.

Additional proposed increases and benefits include:

• An hourly wage increase for after-school and summer work from $37 per hour to $60 per hour for instructional work, and from $37 per hour to $40 per hour for non-instructional work, such as professional development training.
• Establishing new stipends for paraeducators for high-needs, specialized work during school hours.
• Increase stipend payments to compensate for elementary class sizes and educator mentorship.
• Increasing elementary teacher preparation periods from four to five per week.

The district has proposed that teachers work an extra two days per year outside the classroom for professional development. Currently, Worcester educators work 183 days per year while many nearby districts work between 184 and 186 days. The district also requested new employees, who are hired after the ratification of the contract, to contribute 1% of their earnings to the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Fund to address the City’s growing cost of supporting retiree health insurance; the proposal would not impact current union members.

The Worcester School Committee and WPS have conducted more than 20 bargaining sessions with EAW since January 2022.