Negotiations Updates
November 20 Update - Day 13 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester Community,
Thursday is the ninth day children will not be in our classrooms. This saddens us tremendously. So many children and families have expressed how much they miss school and are suffering. This illegal strike has gone on far too long.
Tonight, the independent state-appointed mediator ended today's session around 10:15 p.m. after the unions rejected our last and best offer.
The School Committee is proud of the proposals we have provided both teachers and paraprofessionals. Gloucester Public Schools already has excellent benefits, and the School Committee has offered new and increased benefits. The wage proposals being offered are highly competitive with neighboring districts. They are very likely the highest salary increases ever offered in Gloucester.
The wage proposals the unions rejected tonight would provide teachers with Masters and above a salary increase of $13,500 to $29,000. That is a 15.7% to 36.5% increase in four years. That means the highest paid teachers would earn $113,000, not including stipends, longevity and additional hourly rate work.
We have heard the calls to pay paraprofessionals more. Today, we raised our paraprofessional wage offers twice. First, by adding a fifth year to the contract. Paraprofessionals would see a salary increase of 40% to 63% in our salary proposal. That equates to $10,446 to $14,109 over five years. Second, the Mayor agreed to provide current paraprofessionals an additional one-time payment of $2,000 in FY27.
Even though the School Committee and Mayor have communicated the limits of city finances, tonight the unions provided the School Committee a proposal that is $3.1 million above our current proposal ($1.8 million gap for paraprofessionals and $1.3 million for teachers). If we increase our pay proposals further, the city and schools will have no choice but to lay off staff and cut services.
Twenty-eight and a half school positions were eliminated just last June, including 12 teachers. The School Committee cannot agree to any proposal where one more position needs to be eliminated. Each member of our staff plays an important role in our student’s success every day. Laying off school staff directly harms students, who are our priority.
While the unions have said that Gloucester can make up the budget difference by taking steps like increasing beach parking fees, these are not effective or realistic solutions.
We have listened to the unions and responded with solutions. We are pushing the limits of city finances and are concerned about future staffing. The teachers and paraprofessional unions must stop prolonging negotiations and join with us to return students to school ASAP. The union’s illegal labor action has already erased portions of the summer vacation that we treasure in Gloucester and will now begin to affect February and/or April vacations. Beyond that the unions have caused immense disruption in student learning and family dynamics, and eroded trust in many sectors of the Gloucester community.
We need to have students in schools and get back to work immediately. Our students need it, our families need it, and our community needs it.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the School Committee
School Closure Notice for Thursday, November 21st
November 20, 2024
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sorry to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
As we did yesterday, if school needs to be canceled we will now be contacting you by 8 p.m. each night in hopes of giving the process more time each day. Unfortunately, we are now at that time since the School Committee has waited all day for a response to our last proposal from last night. This means the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
I am so sorry for our children. I am so sorry for our families. You all deserve so much better than this. Please know that the School Committee and I have tried everything for the past 13 days to get our students back into school. Please look for a negotiation update from the School Committee with further details later tonight.
With all the days of June exhausted, this means tomorrow will need to be made up during February or April vacation. That decision will come at a later date as soon as the strike is behind us.
In all my years in public education I never imagined that I would see a situation like this that would impact our students in such a serious way. The time to come together is now.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
School Closure Notice for Wednesday, November 20th
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sorry to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
Earlier today we let the community know that we would make a decision about closing school at 8 p.m. today. While we have seemingly made progress, unfortunately it has not been enough.
The School Committee gave their most recent increased salary proposal to the union leadership at 10 p.m. last night. However, the unions have just given the School Committee a salary proposal at 7:50 p.m. tonight. Such a late proposal is too late for the two sides to make an agreement tonight and still open school tomorrow. The union leadership very clearly knew of the deadline we had to notify families.
We will continue to work into the night but it is already late and we know your children need to know now. Based on this, the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
As I have said in my previous messages, this day will be added to the end of the school year making the last day of school Monday, June 30th. Any days canceled after this point will need to be made up during part of February and/or April vacation.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
For tomorrow, we again have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Families can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
I am sorry this is happening to the children and families of Gloucester.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
Update from Superintendent Ben Lummis November 19, 2024 - 12:45 p.m.
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I want to reach out and let students and families know that negotiations have slowed since I wrote to you last night. We were optimistic last night that both teams were making enough progress, and that we would get to the finish line. However, negotiations hit several roadblocks late last night, and negotiations ended at 11:45 PM. We are now working with the union leadership on these issues today and beyond if necessary.
At this point, I do not know if schools will or will not be open tomorrow. I am sending this message so families can plan accordingly.
To give negotiations as much time as possible, we will let you know one way or another at 8 PM tonight.
Please know, both teams are working hard to get this done so our children can get back into school as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
Update from Superintendent Ben Lummis about School Closure - sent to all families November 18, 6:50 p.m.
Gloucester Public Schools Families,
First, I would like to apologize for being a little late with this announcement. We have made such significant progress today that there was a real possibility of us coming to an agreement tonight that would have opened schools tomorrow. Unfortunately, we will still need to continue our collaboration through the night and into tomorrow in order to finalize an agreement.
So while school will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19th, I want to signal to families and staff that they should make preparations to be in school on Wednesday, November 20th. While this is not guaranteed, we have made tangible progress towards an agreement and everyone should be ready to return to school.
Again, I will acknowledge the burden that this strike has placed on everyone involved, but I am heartened to see real progress on both sides over the last 24 hours. I will provide further updates tomorrow as I have them.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
GSC Paras Overview Graphic.pdfNovember 17 Update - Day 10 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
As you likely saw in Superintendent Lummis’ update earlier this evening, Gloucester Public Schools will once again be closed tomorrow, Monday, November 18. We are deeply saddened that this illegal strike has disrupted student learning and that children, families, and our community are left to grapple with this difficult situation.
The School Committee will not engage in attacking teachers’ and paraprofessionals’ integrity and intentions, nor will we engage in Facebook finger-pointing. We remain focused on coming to an agreement with the teachers' and paraprofessionals’ unions so they can have a fair contract and so schools may reopen as quickly as possible.
Today we met with both the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA) and Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) and received their revised proposals on salaries, parental leave, and sick bank use. Once again there was no change in their paraprofessional wage proposal. On teachers’ salaries, they met the School Committee’s proposal for this year, but stuck to their unaffordable salary offer for the upcoming two years.
While we are moving closer to an agreement, the single biggest challenge we face is the vast gap remaining on teacher salaries. The clear truth is that the union’s salary proposal would cost nearly $3 million more than our proposal over the three contract years. Those salary levels can not be sustained by the district and are not supported by city finances.
The salary proposals that we have provided are the largest salary increases ever in a Gloucester Public schools’ contract. The proposed wages are very competitive for the region and ensure that the city does not overstrain its finances or be forced to make service and personnel cuts.
Our most recent salary for paraprofessionals would increase the wages of first-year paraprofessionals by 45% at the end of the new contract, 47% for second-year paraprofessionals, and 55% for third-year paraprofessionals. Similarly, our most recent teacher salary proposal would result in more than 40% of our teachers earning greater than $100,000 per year.
We have also proposed to increase the number of paid sick days for paraprofessionals to 13 days per year. Paraprofessionals may accrue these days over time to use them for paid parental and family medical leave. We believe this approach empowers paraprofessionals to take paid leave and spend important time with new family members, without placing too onerous a cost on the city’s finances or overly limiting student-educator engagement time.
Tonight the mediator called off mediation at 7:30 p.m. Mediation will resume tomorrow at 10 a.m. We are confident that, through holding productive, face-to-face conversations with the teachers and paraprofessionals each day, we will come to a compromise shortly that returns students to the classroom and provides parents peace of mind.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
School Closure Notice for Monday, November 18
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sad to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Monday, November 18, 20204.
Like you, I am frustrated that we are 10 days in with no resolution to this contract. Our students deserve to be in school.
We have worked through the weekend in hopes of finding common ground with the union leadership but unfortunately the two sides continue to remain apart on key issues like wages. The School Committee remains committed to working with the independent, state mediator as we have for the last 10 days.
The School Committee voted this weekend to allow after-school activities as long as the advisor or coach is willing to participate. These advisors will contact the building principal and let them know that they are willing to run the activity and will begin communicating with students.
As I have said in my previous messages, the days that are canceled will be added to the end of the school year just like snow days. With tomorrow’s cancellation, our last day of school will now be Thursday, June 26.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
We have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Families can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. A special thank you to the YMCA, The Open Door, Gloucester Housing, and GPS Food Services for helping distribute these meals.
Please know that our mediation efforts are ongoing and are starting early every morning and continuing late into the night until our children are back in school.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
November 16 Update - Day 9 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
We are pleased to report that today we continued to make important progress working with the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) to come to an agreement that reflects our deep appreciation for our paraprofessionals. We are committed to working together to end the illegal strike and get our children back in the classroom with access to essential services.
Today we agreed on a number of proposals, including our comprehensive plan to improve paraprofessional training and preparation. Our proposals to the GAEP have offered significant wage increases over the course of the three-year contract, and today, we presented a package proposal that adds a fourth-year salary increase to the contract.
Between March 2023 and last month, we held nine negotiating sessions and ten mediation sessions with the GAEP. During that time we started with the biggest salary increase GAEP has ever been offered. Since then we have increased our salary proposal eight more times. Today, we increased our salary offer for the ninth time.
We know that these are difficult conversations. All of our educators work hard, and the reality is that a range of complex factors are taken into account when determining salaries. Our first-year teachers are paid differently from ninth-year teachers. Our first-year paraprofessionals are paid differently than more seasoned paraprofessionals. Our teachers with bachelor's degrees are paid differently than those with master's degrees. As you can see in the table below, our wages are competitive with other districts.
We deeply respect the work our paraprofessionals do, and our contract proposals reflect this. We remain at the table with the union negotiators. And while we might disagree on some issues that are before us while negotiating, we will always bring with us the utmost respect for our paraprofessionals and their work.
We remain focused on finding solutions that improve student learning and achievement while remaining financially responsible for the city. We love our community, our teachers, and our children.
We want to be cautiously optimistic about making more progress tomorrow, but the school week is coming quickly, and we know you want kids in school as much as we do. We are going to be here tomorrow morning in an effort to make that happen and will be in touch with you as we continue to make progress.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 15 Update - Day 8 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
Today marked the first full school week lost due to the illegal teacher and paraprofessional strike, leaving students without critical time in the classroom and access to essential services. This strike has also left children with no sense of normalcy and parents and guardians have been forced to scramble for child care or lose necessary wages to stay home with their children.
As we communicated earlier, the School Committee voted unanimously this evening to resume high school level sports and extracurricular activities.
These negotiations remain difficult. But as I said last night, we must move forward to get our students back in school where they belong.
This morning, under the guidance of the independent, state-appointed mediator, both parties re-grouped and agreed on a new path moving forward. Starting tomorrow, critical members of bargaining teams will meet face-to-face once again on outstanding issues.
School Committee members have received questions on paraprofessional pay and necessary qualifications. Gloucester Public Schools require paraprofessionals to have either an associate degree or a passing score on a ParaPro test. 94% of Gloucester Paraprofessionals work 6.5 hours per day, with the other 6% working 7 hours per day and are provided with full-time employment benefits, including a pension.
It is also important to note that negotiations with the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) began in March of 2023. Nine negotiation sessions were held with no agreement made. The Department of Labor Relations determined in October of 2023 that negotiations were at an impasse. After which, 10 mediation sessions were held up until October 22. Throughout this process, the School Committee increased its salary proposal eight separate times. GAEP presented six proposals, re-asserting their highest proposal yesterday.
Our wage proposals are competitive and by FY26 our top hourly rate, along with our entry-level hourly rate, are similar to what Manchester-Essex and Hamilton-Wehnamt. Our proposals for both top and entry-level paraprofessionals are higher than what those in Salem earn.
Each member of the School Committee ran and was elected to provide oversight of our public school system. We each ran because we love our community, our teachers, and our children. Each of us has benefitted in some way from the education this school system has provided and the community it instills in us. Unfortunately, decisions affecting the overall city budget cannot be made in a vacuum. Any proposal that would lead to teachers and paraprofessionals losing their jobs, and essential city services having to be cut, are unacceptable.
Our focus remains on improving student learning achievement while remaining financially responsible for the city. The School Committee hopes that the new ground rules agreed upon today will yield productive conversations tomorrow and lead to the end of this harmful, illegal strike so our students can return to class and reunite with their friends and mentors as soon as possible. We will be working tirelessly until a new agreement is reached.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 14 Update - Day 7 of Mediation
November 14, 2024
Good evening Gloucester Families,
We are deeply saddened that, one week after teachers and paraprofessionals voted to undertake an illegal and harmful strike, schools remain closed, and will once again be closed tomorrow, November 15. At 8:45 this evening, the state-appointed mediator ended negotiations for today.
We had hoped that tonight's message would be more positive. Yesterday we made important progress on a few issues through small group, face-to-face discussions. Unfortunately, soon after we began mediation today, the unions abruptly stopped those meetings without explanation.
The unions did however respond to our wage proposal that we presented to them on October 29. Under the current proposal that the teacher’s union put forward, the highest-paid teachers would earn $122,523 by the end of a four-year contract, an increase of 25.6% from their current salary. Under the paraprofessional union's proposal, the highest-paid paraprofessionals would make $38.82 an hour over a five-year contract, an increase of 76.6%.
These proposals would likely mean significant teacher layoffs and cuts to essential services across the police, fire, and public works departments. This would be detrimental to our entire community.
Our proposal meets the financial needs of the city and puts our teachers and paraprofessionals at a highly competitive pay compared to neighboring communities.
Reopening schools, allowing students to return to the classroom, and providing parents much-needed peace of mind remain our top priorities. For the third day in a row, we tried to make this happen by inviting the unions to return to work, while continuing face-to-face mediation. They once again rejected our offer.
Tonight's mediation session did not end how the School Committee had hoped. These negotiations are difficult, and unfortunately tonight, extremely difficult. Sometimes tough discussions happen, but we must move forward in order to get our students back in school where they belong.
The School Committee will work tirelessly towards a solution tomorrow and hope the unions come to the table with the same mindset and a renewed sense of urgency. I hope to have more positive news to share tomorrow.
Our food service staff are working tirelessly to ensure our students are fed and we cannot thank them enough. Information on how and where families can pick up breakfast and lunch can be found here.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
Graphics of Earlier Proposals from School Committee
November 13 Update - Day 6 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
Superintendent Ben Lummis has informed the community that school will again be closed tomorrow, November 14 due to the unions’ ongoing, harmful, illegal strike, marking the cancellation of four consecutive school days.
Fortunately, we have made some clear progress in mediation today. Multiple small groups met face-to-face throughout the day and reached tentative agreements on topics including behavioral support teams, family sick leave, curriculum implementation, and email response times.
Additionally, the School Committee voted to allow the varsity cheerleaders to participate in this weekend’s regional cheer competition. Given that this one-time event cannot be rescheduled, we want these students to have the opportunity to participate in a critical event they have trained tirelessly for.
As we prepare for tomorrow, we hope to find common ground with the unions on the most important issues, particularly teacher salaries.
Amid this progress today, we once again asked teachers to return back to work, welcome students back to school, and offered time carved out during the day for core negotiation members to continue face-to-face mediation. Unfortunately, the unions refused our requests.
Due to the continuation of the illegal strike, the state will begin to fine the teachers union $50,000 and paraprofessionals union $15,000 for refusing a court order to return to work. Moving forward, if the unions do not call off their illegal strike by 3 p.m. each day, the fines for the teachers will increase by $10,000 per day, while the paraprofessional fines will increase by $5,000 per day. To put this into perspective, by Friday, the teachers’ union will owe $180,000 in fines.
Our main goal remains to teach and serve our students. We believe that mediation can continue to yield fruitful results, but we will continue to call on teachers and paraprofessionals to end their illegal strike so we do not force students to miss even one more day of school.
Finally, we are incredibly thankful to our food service staff who have been working hard to ensure our students stay fed. Information on how and where families can pick up breakfast and lunch can be found here.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 12 Update - Day 5 of Mediation
November 12, 2024
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
We have begun making progress on small but nevertheless important areas with the unions. Tonight, we came to an agreement with the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) on expanded sick leave bank withdrawal. We hope to carry this positive energy into tomorrow and find common ground on key issues, such as salaries.
This small but crucial success came tonight through working in mediation face-to-face managed by an independent, state-appointed mediator. To take this one step further, we believe teachers and paraprofessionals must return to work as we continue to engage in more of the productive, face-to-face discussions, as we asked them today. Included in the offer was release time during the school day for core bargaining team members of the union. Unfortunately, they rejected this proposal, but we will continue to propose solutions to get students back in the classroom as quickly as possible.
Now as you may already know, Superintendent Ben Lummis once again had to inform the Gloucester School Community that school will be closed again for the third day. Our schools are prepared to continue to provide breakfast and lunch to students. The next pick up will be on Thursday. We will be adding more pick up spots and will communicate additional details to families on Wednesday.
We are laser-focused on finding solutions that help us end this incredibly damaging strike that is harming students, families and our community.
After five days of mediation, the teachers union has yet to provide a counter wage proposal to our offer made on October 29. Under their only proposal, their highest-paid teachers would receive $125,000 at the end of their proposed contract. If we agree to the union’s proposal, Gloucester will have to lay off at least 8 teachers, per year, for three years. We can’t, in good conscience, agree to that.
Our salary proposal is competitive, and is higher than what Danvers and Salem teachers are set to earn. Under our proposal, teachers would see significant salary increases over 3 years, with many seeing over a 20% increase in their pay. This does not include additional pay like stipends, longevity, and work done for an hourly rate.
Mediation ended tonight around 9 p.m. at the direction of the independent, state-appointed mediator. Mediation will continue at 9 a.m. tomorrow. As mediation and negotiations continue, we will provide daily updates.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 11 Update - Day 4 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
Tonight, Superintendent Ben Lummis informed the Gloucester School Community that school and all extracurricular activities are canceled tomorrow due to the ongoing teacher strike. To our students, school is more than just learning, it is also friendship, fun and a safe place where they can receive support when they need it.
We know this is also difficult for parents and guardians. We assure you that we are working tirelessly to find common ground as quickly as we possibly can because we know every day matters.
Our schools are prepared to provide breakfast and lunch to students starting tomorrow. You can find details on how and when those pickups are available here.
We resumed mediation with the Gloucester Teachers Association this morning at 9 a.m. under the direction of the independent, state-appointed mediator.
First thing this morning, we were told by the mediator that the teachers union would not provide us with a salary counter-proposal, and they also stated that they do not plan to put another one forward.
We provided the teachers union our original wage proposal on September 23. We then increased our offer on October 29.
Under the union’s only wage proposal, 8 or more teachers will need to be laid off each year, over the course of the three-year contract. That is at least 24 teachers in total.
As we have come closer to the middle, the teacher union has refused to respond to our proposal. The teacher union’s proposal will cost the district over $2.4 million dollars more than what the school committee has put forward.
The teacher union’s proposal would have significant implications for Gloucester’s ability to meet the needs of taxpayers, residents and businesses. As Mayor Greg Verga said publicly tonight, to meet the teacher unions only wage proposal would require a vote by residents to raise taxes permanently or the need to cut services our city depends on. Early analysis of the impact estimates a potential tax increase of about $400 per year for the average Gloucester household.
The union's proposal is unaffordable and unsustainable.
Mediation ended tonight around 8 p.m. at the direction of the independent, state-appointed mediator. Mediation will continue at 9 a.m. tomorrow. As mediation and negotiations continue, we will provide daily updates.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 10 Update - Day 3 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
The motto of Gloucester Public Schools is “Every Day Matters. Everybody Belongs.” As the uncertainty of this upcoming week continues due to the teacher strike, the phrase “Every Day Matters” could not ring more true.
“Every Day Matters” has always been our belief. We stood by it in 2020 when we heard the concerns of parents amidst the pandemic and worked to bring our students back to school in person on the first day of the new school year.
The state court has directed that by 10 a.m. tomorrow, the Gloucester Teachers Association and the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals must state publicly that their strike is canceled and they will return to work. If they decide against ending their illegal strike, they will face further action from the court.
Since we began negotiations more than six months ago, we have repeatedly asked for the union to provide meaningful responses on these key issues:
Salary
New Benefits
Vital collaboration time between teachers needed to strengthen instruction and improve student achievement
Since October 29, and now through three days of mediation, the Gloucester Teachers Association refuses to respond to our latest salary proposal.
Under the current proposal provided by the Gloucester School Committee, 65% of teachers will earn above $90,000 by the end of the proposed contract period and 41% will be earning above $100,000 dollars. This does not include the stipends, additional payments or longevity payments they also receive.
These are competitive salaries. As you can see below, our current teacher salary proposal is higher than what Danvers and Salem teachers are set to earn. These two districts have been cited by the teachers union as comparable benchmarks.
This is not where we had hoped to be at this time, however, we recognize ongoing mediation is a step forward.
If school is forced to be closed on Tuesday, Superintendent Ben Lummis will provide you with an update by 6 p.m. tomorrow. Superintendent Lummis also sent out information earlier tonight regarding breakfast and lunch pick-up, extracurricular activities, and medication needs. You can find that here.
Mediation ended tonight at 8:40 p.m. at the direction of the independent, state-appointed mediator. Mediation will continue at 9 a.m. tomorrow. As mediation and negotiations continue, we will provide daily updates.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 9 Update - Day 2 of Mediation
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
Today marks the second day the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA) and the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) have decided to continue their strike.
I am writing to update all families and community members on today's mediation session. For more information on the mediation process, please read last night’s community update here.
We resumed bargaining with the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA) this morning at 9 a.m. under the direction of the independent, state-appointed mediator from the Department of Labor Relations (DLR).
We were hoping that today would include steps forward on the key issues that have divided us for over six months. Those issues are salary, new benefits, and important collaboration time for our teachers. The GTA decided instead to focus on items like email response time and personal days.
We provided counter-proposals to those issues, and although they are not the key issues, we view this as a starting point to reaching an agreement.
It is our belief, however, that the key issues will continue to be difficult to work through, but we remain committed to coming to an agreement on a new contract and getting our students back in school.
In regards to wages, it is important to highlight that based on our current proposal, 65% of teachers will earn above $90,000 by the end of the proposed contract and 41% will be earning above $100,000 dollars. This competitive compensation does not include the longevity payments and stipends teachers also receive.
Mediation continues at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. As mediation and negotiations continue through the weekend, we will provide daily updates.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 8 Update - State Ordered Mediation Begins
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
We are deeply saddened that Gloucester’s children couldn’t be in school today because the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA) and Gloucester Association of Education Paraprofessionals’ (GAEP) have chosen to proceed with their illegal strike. I am writing to update all families on today’s events.
Earlier today, the state court issued an injunction ordering teachers and paraprofessionals to return to school on Tuesday.
Last night the state labor board directed both sides to participate in mediation with a state-appointed mediator. Meditation began this afternoon under the direction of an independent, state mediator from the Department of Labor Relations (DLR). The mediation process works by one party making a proposal, which is then presented to the other party by the mediator, and the second party then provides a response. This process continues until a contract agreement is reached.
Through today’s mediation session, the Gloucester School Committee provided the independent, state mediator a background on negotiations up to this point. The focus of today was to create a roadmap for mediation moving forward.
For more than six months, we have prioritized bargaining in good faith, face-to-face, with the union. However, they refused to bargain with us over the summer. Their refusal to negotiate over the summer meant months lost where we could not work together to find a solution.
Mediation continues at 9:00 a.m tomorrow. As mediation and negotiations continue through the weekend, we will provide daily updates.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 8 Update about Student Activities and Playoff Football Game
Dear Gloucester School Community,
Gloucester High School Varsity Football is scheduled to play a playoff game this evening at 7:00 PM against Shawsheen Valley Technical High School. Due to the timing of the game, tonight’s football game will proceed as planned.
However, due to the unexpected school closure, starting Saturday, November 9, all school sponsored student activities must be rescheduled, if possible, or canceled until school resumes.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On Behalf of the School Committee
November 7 Community Update on Teacher Strike
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
We are deeply disappointed by the Gloucester Teachers Association’s (GTA) vote to proceed with an illegal and deeply harmful strike. This action will stall student learning, bring afterschool programs and athletics to a halt, and leave parents scrambling for childcare options with little or no notice. Instead of working to find common ground with the School Committee at the negotiating table, the GTA has chosen to put political grandstanding ahead of our district’s students, their learning and their safety.
The Gloucester School Committee is made up of members of the community who love the Gloucester Public Schools. Each of us ran and were ultimately elected to our positions because of our deep admiration for our educators and our strong sense of responsibility towards the children of Gloucester. It is because of this that the School Committee, over many months of negotiations, has worked incredibly hard to find common ground on critical issues including increased pay, sick leave, and expanded learning opportunities for our students. Each of our proposals have been built off of direct feedback from educators, reflecting the vast respect we hold for them. Our proposals also prioritize fiscal responsibility, ensuring that taxpayers won’t be left to foot higher bills and our schools won’t be put in the unfortunate position of deciding which services need to be cut as a result.
The proposals the GTA have gone on strike in support of today are fiscally irresponsible and impractical. Accepting them would seriously risk tax hikes or service cuts for the district.
Every day the strike continues, our most vulnerable students lack convenient access to warm meals, necessary continuation in education and critical mental health services. This action will put many parents in the tough position where they will have to sacrifice working hours and wages. All of this is absolutely unacceptable.
We are aware that there is a playoff football game tomorrow night. We will provide an update on the game by 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.
For the well-being of our students and their families, we strongly urge the GTA to end their illegal labor action, return to the negotiating table, and continue collaborating with the school committee. We firmly believe that we can come to an agreement, and that student learning and safety should never be upended in the process.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 5 Community Update on Teacher Negotiations
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
This afternoon the Gloucester School Committee petitioned the state Department of Labor Relations to step in to stop a planned illegal strike by the Gloucester Teachers Association, which we believe will significantly disrupt student learning in the coming days.
The School Committee took this step based on clear evidence the GTA plans to vote on this illegal strike as soon as Thursday and begin striking as soon as Friday. We are asking the Department of Labor Relations to step in and stop this illegal action immediately, and allow school to stay open and students to continue learning.
Teachers are essential employees who our children depend on for learning and safety during the school day. An illegal labor action will cause direct harm to students by forcing many to stay home without a parent or guardian able to care for them, removing access to mental health service options, and limiting students' abilities to secure warm meals. Additionally, emergency responders such as the Gloucester Police Department will have to shift substantial resources to manage the public impact of a labor action.
It is our intention that with our legal steps taken today, the School Committee and GTA can return to the bargaining table to find common ground and solutions that reflect the immense respect we have for our educators.
We all want our students to become successful, engaged, lifelong learners who feel a strong sense of belonging. The only way we can achieve that now is through bargaining in good faith.
We will keep you updated in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
On behalf of the Gloucester School Committee
November 1 Community Update on Teacher Negotiations
Dear Members of the Gloucester School Community,
On Tuesday night, we held another negotiation session with the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA). We entered the session with updated proposals and a serious, passionate desire to find a solution so that everyone’s attention can return to what matters most: Educating students.
The School Committee proposals continue to balance providing our teachers with competitive wages and paid time off that surpasses neighboring districts, while meeting the financial needs of the community and making sure that all teachers have the time to work together to improve student learning and academic achievement.
The GTA declined to consider our new proposals and did not offer any compromises of their own. For example, instead of moving toward the middle on teacher pay as the School Committee has repeatedly done, the GTA restated their initial, unaffordable and unsustainable proposal.
Negotiations are a two-way street. Each side has to move from its original position for progress to be made. We are not seeing that kind of movement from the GTA and their partners from the statewide Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA). If the GTA continues to negotiate with us, we believe we will reach a fair agreement with no disruptions to school or student learning.
Here is where the two sides stand on our salary proposals:
Teacher Pay
The School Committee has come to the table with a competitive salary proposal. On Tuesday, we increased our salary proposal and are now offering teachers a salary increase between 10% and 26% over three years. The School Committee offered to increase the highest paid teachers’ salary by an additional $2,600 above our opening proposal. The highest paid teachers would earn $107,400, up from the $97,500 they are earning now.
The GTA, on the other hand, continues to stick with its original proposal that would increase teachers’ salaries between 28% and 55%, with top teacher pay reaching $125,000 per year.
The School Committee’s salary proposal ensures competitive pay for our teachers without completely straining the city’s financial resources and impacting teaching personnel. Overall, our increased salary plan would cost the district around $1.1 million per year in FY25, FY26, and FY27.
The GTA’s plan would cost the district approximately $1.9 million in FY25, $2 million in FY26, and more than $2 million in FY27. To put that into perspective, the GTA’s FY25 proposal for teacher salary increases alone costs more than the increase in the district’s entire FY25 budget, including all staff salaries, services, and supplies. As we made clear during the negotiation session, the GTA proposal is unaffordable and unsustainable for the city.
To make progress, the GTA needs to engage in negotiations that offer a salary proposal that is more in line with the City’s finances, won’t risk staffing cuts, and overburden taxpayers. We remain optimistic that we can find common ground if the GTA will work with us to find an approach that accomplishes our shared goals.
Please see below for links to further updates about our proposal to offer a new Paid Parental Leave benefit and for ensuring that all teachers are able to work together during the workday to improve student learning and achievement.
Next Steps
Our next GTA negotiation session is planned for November 12 at 4:30 p.m. at the Gloucester High Library. The Gloucester School Committee remains fully committed to finding common ground with the GTA and negotiating solutions that meet the needs of our students, educators, and community members.
As always, ensuring our students become successful, engaged, lifelong learners with a strong sense of belonging remains our ultimate priority.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chair
Gloucester School Committee
Expanding Paid Leave Benefits
The two sides are also trying to work through competing proposals to add a new Paid Parental Leave Benefit.
While we firmly believe that teachers should have access to paid parental leave to care for themselves and loved ones, the GTA’s proposal of introducing 12 weeks of paid parental leave fully funded by the district is cost-prohibitive.
We believe the current approach teachers may take – using accrued paid sick time for reasons related to family and medical leave – is a good benefit for staff. Currently, teachers earn 17 sick days per year and may accrue up to 165 sick days in total. This, in turn, provides them access to 12 weeks of fully paid leave. Beyond that, Gloucester’s existing sick leave policy is already one of the most generous in the state.
Improving Student Learning
The two sides are also negotiating over the teacher work day to ensure that teachers have enough time to work with each other and focus on improving student learning and instruction.
The GTA wants to reduce the amount of time elementary teachers have to work together and eliminate 7 after school hours used for professional development, book studies, learning about student needs, reviewing student achievement data and other important work that improves student learning. The School Committee values educators working together because it is the primary way that schools improve their practice and student learning. Right now our elementary educators have much less time than their middle school and high school counterparts to collaborate. The challenge is that elementary teachers currently have a shorter contracted work day so there isn’t time in the day to do this important work.
Currently in Gloucester, GPS Elementary School teachers' contracted work day is 6 hours 17 minutes, O’Maley teachers' workday is 6 hours 32 minutes, and Gloucester High teachers' workday is 6 hours 52 minutes. This, as you can see, in the chart above is lower than the amount of time teachers in neighboring districts work.
Implementing a unified work day of 6 hours and 52 minutes for all Gloucester Public Schools will ensure that all teachers have the necessary time to plan, prepare, and collaborate.
October 28, 2024 - Update on 10th Mediation Session with the Paraprofessionals Association
Dear Gloucester Public Schools Families,
We want to provide you with a brief update on last week’s mediation session with the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals (GAEP) and touch base on tomorrow’s negotiation session with the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA).
We entered our tenth mediation session on October 22nd with a competitive pay package for our district’s paraprofessionals that goes beyond the wages neighboring districts provide. We increased our previous wage proposal, bringing our current salary offer to what equates to $29 per hour for the highest-paid GAEP staff starting in 2026. The district would do this by increasing pay for all paraprofessionals rapidly over the course of fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Throughout the past ten months of mediation, we have listened to GAEP member concerns and offered highly competitive pay proposals. Our proposal from last week would set Gloucester paraprofessional pay above comparable districts such as Rockport, Salem, Peabody, and Leominster and on par with Manchester-Essex and Hamilton-Wenham. However, GAEP further increased its wage requests beyond its previous proposal, making it harder to find a compromise.
We deeply value the passion, dedication, and purpose GAEP members bring to Gloucester Public Schools. Paraprofessionals are paramount to fostering a sense of belonging among our students and helping them become successful, engaged, life-long learners.
We continue to work on this issue. The sooner we can come to an agreement with our paraprofessionals, the better for our students, paraprofessionals, and our community.
Finally, please keep your eyes out for another update set to come out shortly after our negotiation session with the Gloucester Teachers Association tomorrow night, where we plan to walk through a new wage proposal. The School Committee remains deeply focused on negotiating a new contract with the GTA as soon as possible, and will keep you informed throughout the negotiation process.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Clancy
Chairperson
Gloucester School Committee