ESP Bargaining Restart
Update #3
It was a happy accident that tonight’s ESP contract bargaining meeting took place on National Educational Support Professionals Day! All of us on the Executive Committee want to thank our dedicated ESPs for all you do to make public education possible.
Tonight was yet another respectful, positive, and productive session with the School Committee Team. Together, we came to a tentative agreement on our proposal regarding to include tuition reimbursement in our contract and an in the increase Personal Care Stipends (formerly referred to as “toileting” stipends). Moreover, progress was made as we moved forward towards a new salary schedule and classification system. Although both sides agree that ESPs are overdue a fair living wage, further discussion is required to bring both sides together on exactly how much of an increase that means and how quickly we will receive it.
The Committee’s public recognition that ESPs are woefully underpaid is a welcome sign of progress which is directly related to the advocacy and support by teachers and ESPs themselves! Please continue this work as our collective voices are being heard and need to be sustained in order to bring our contract negotiations to a successful conclusion.
The ESP Bargaining Team’s next negotiating session is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8th from 4:30-6:30 pm.
In Solidarity,
Maureen Zuber
ESP Unit Representative