Sisters and Brothers,
By now, I had hoped that you would have had a final draft of a Memorandum of Understanding between the HEA and the Haverhill School Committee and spent the last several hours engaged in vigorous democratic debate about its merits and shortcomings. Unfortunately, we only received the School Committee’s comments on the draft we sent them Monday afternoon just before 1:00 pm today, and there were a number of last-minute changes that the bargaining team has not agreed to. I have discussed these with Superintendent Marotta, and she has agreed to make some corrections. Unfortunately, we simply weren’t given enough time for the Executive Committee, Bargaining Team, and our MTA Field Staff to properly evaluate the impact of some of the more substantial changes the School Committee proposed, and as such, the document they may vote on tonight is not yet complete.
Regardless of what action the School Committee may take tonight, no deal is final until the HEA membership has voted to ratify it.
The Executive Committee and Bargaining Team will continue to advocate for the terms we agreed to at the bargaining table and ensure that the language we bring to you for a vote reflects that understanding. I’ll provide you all with an update tomorrow as conversations to resolve these issues with the District continue. Stay tuned for more information, including an all-member meeting next week to discuss the ratification of a tentative agreement, or, if necessary, potential actions in support of the agreement we reached at the bargaining table.
In Solidarity,
Anthony
Anthony J. Parolisi
President
Haverhill Education Association