We are asking you to contact your legislators right away to help make sure that contract promises made to thousands of MTA members working across the University of Massachusetts system are kept.
New contracts were agreed to and ratified in December – but now UMass President Robert Caret is refusing to implement the agreements, despite having received funding for them.
Governor Charlie Baker holds the same position as the one taken by former Governor Deval Patrick: that UMass received funding for all of its contracts in the budget for the current fiscal year.
Now Baker has filed legislation that includes language supporting the view that UMass has adequate funding in place to pay the salaries negotiated in the new contracts, as well as agreements covering UMass Lowell employees that the Legislature approved in the fall.
Baker’s legislation is expected to be taken up within the next few days – and we need our legislators to support it and ensure that UMass understands that a deal is a deal.
Having these contracts take effect as soon as possible is a matter of fairness that should concern all MTA members.
Thank you for taking a moment to support public higher education and the people who make it possible at UMass.
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