July 24, 2025

Tonight’s bargaining session focused on Unit A with the BSC providing written responses.  We had a long conversation today around our last proposals for Work Day / Work Year / Work Load and Salaries, where the union explained that presenting salaries and work days without looking at the totality of workload for educators will not move us forward. The Unit A bargaining team was clear that Unit A would be open to lower salary increases if the School Committee would commit to clear, binding language to improve working conditions. The Committee repeatedly stated that they were unwilling to commit to language that was “too tight and too specific” in this area. We explained that asking for concessions without commitments requires a level of trust that we are not confident BEA members would accept, particularly given the history of our salary negotiations, where for over a decade we have agreed to concessions in order to make the system run that have led to more and more work for us as educators. For your reference, here is a history of some of those concessions, the outcome of which the School Committee is now asking us to reverse without guarantees that we will see significant changes in our workload:

Unit A Salary:

• 2011-2012 Half year freeze on step movement, 0% increase
• 2012-2013 Quarter year freeze on step movement, day 91 1% increase +$150 on top step, day 136 1% increase
• 2013-2014 Day 91 1% increase +$150 on top step, day 136 1% increase
• 2014-2015 Freeze on step movement unit day 23, 1% on top step day 113, 0% all other steps
• 2015-2016 Day 109, 1% steps 1-13, 2% step 14
• 2016-2017 Day 121, 1% to steps 1-13, 2.5% step 14

Next week’s bargaining session focuses on Unit D and the Belmont School Committee will be presenting.  Please join us at the Belmont High School from 5:00-8:00 to support our Unit D colleagues.