“WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN!!!”
At exactly 9:44 pm, I received the call that we all were waiting to hear. The ESP CONTRACT WAS RATIFIED TONIGHT in a long-awaited vote after the School Committee met in Executive Session!!! It passed with a vote of 5 to 1. A big thank you goes out to the School Committee Bargaining Team and members who helped to develop and voted to approve our new Living Wage contract which includes: Toni Sapienza Donais, Paul Magliocchetti, Rich Rosa, Gail Sullivan and Maura Ryan-Ciardiello!
Furthermore, I want to thank the ESP Bargaining Team who spent many hours meeting over the past year and a half negotiating this contract which includes: LeeAnn Ferguson, Vickie Steed, Lynn Sullivan, Trish Shaw, and Leslye Zylkuski! Also, the HCAT Team and our ESP Facebook creator Kristen Segan. Lastly, I want to thank the Educational Support Professionals themselves and all other HEA members who played an active role in the tenacious advocacy of our Living Wage Campaign.
Ratification vote to take place at an ALL-ESP meeting next Wednesday, June 2nd (via Zoom) at 6:30 pm. The MOA will be sent out for review soon.
Again, I am so proud of everyone who made the time to participate in our action outreach and advocacy activities which included: Black Out Thursdays, school standouts, writing emails, yard sign posters, attending School Committee Meetings, speaking at Public Comment, flyering, etc. It is due to our collective actions that this meaningful contract was approved tonight. Together, we made this happen . . . . Together, we made history!
In solidarity,
Maureen Zuber
ESP Bargaining Chair and Representative