Thursday Morning Standout Continue
Sisters and Brothers,
We have some amazing news! Eileen Doherty, Nettle School Assistant Principal is the first Haverhill Public Schools Administrator to sign a letter in support of Haverhill ESPs’ right to a living wage! On behalf of all ESPs, the ESP Contract Action Team would like to publicly thank Assistant Principal Doherty for her support, and encourage all our members to do the same!
Others have said they will consider it, but have not yet committed. That’s why we EVERY HEA MEMBER to help:
- Stand out in solidarity. Join your union siblings for a stand out outside of your building at least 15 minutes before your contract start time (if you are going to be working in person) and wear your black HEA shirt.
- Be direct. Before you’re done for the day, all teachers, ESPs, secretaries, and school safety specialists should ask your administrator(s) directly: “Have you signed a letter to support Haverhill’s ESPs yet?” If working remotely, please reach out by phone or email! Ask your colleagues to do the same.
- If necessary, explain why they should. A fair contract with a living wage for ESPs will attract and retain the high quality educators that our students deserve. Administrators rely on ESPs to keep their schools running. ESPs deserve administrators’ support at the bargaining table.
We hope to see everybody outside tomorrow before school, and look forward to seeing your pictures from the standouts (upload them to our Google Drive folder here). The turnout so far has been amazing to see. If we can keep this up and continue to build this movement we can set a new standard for paraprofessional pay in the Merrimack Valley and across the Commonwealth.
When we fight, we win!
In Solidarity,
The ESP Action Team