Collective Bargaining with the Gloucester Teachers Association

Statement from Superintendent Ben Lummis on Strike Resolution November 22, 2024

Hello, I’m Ben Lummis, Superintendent of Gloucester Public Schools. 

It is with profound relief that I stand here alongside the Gloucester School Committee and Mayor Verga with this now behind us. This contract embodies the deep respect that the school committee, the Mayor and I have for our teachers and paraprofessionals by offering the highest salary increases in the history of the Gloucester Public Schools. Gloucester is now a statewide leader on parental leave and other benefits for teachers and paraprofessionals. We will work with our paraprofessionals to provide them with more support and more training than ever before. 

Perhaps most importantly, this agreement allows the Gloucester Public Schools to focus on the essential and urgent work of improving student learning and outcomes. The Unions, School Committee, and I recognize that we still have a ways to go in best preparing our students for their next steps after graduation. We also recognize that teachers will be the best partners we have to move this work forward. More than ever before, both unions and their leaders will take greater responsibility for improving student learning and academic achievement.   

It’s time for us all to exhale and let go of the challenge, tension, sadness, and even anger that we’ve been experiencing over recent weeks and months. Let us breathe in this new day. And think of what we can become together for each other and for our students. There are brighter days ahead for all of us if we can keep talking, keep listening, and keep rebuilding trust, because let me be clear, teaching in public schools is the hardest work any of us will ever do, and it is the most important work any of us can do. I ask all of our teachers, our paraprofessionals, our school and district leaders, our staff across all of our schools, our School Committee, our families, and folks across this city to help us rebuild. 

Gloucester is a great community, a caring community, and we have really good schools, but we need to be extraordinary for each other, for our families, and especially for our students. I know that we can build from this agreement and build from this moment to a much brighter day.   Thank you

Sincerely,

Ben Lummis
Superintendent 

October 21 Community Update on Teacher Negotiations

Dear Gloucester Public Schools Families,

As negotiations continue with the Gloucester Teachers Association (GTA), we think it is important to continue to update the community with clear and concise information about the status of negotiation and the good faith offers we have made to Gloucester’s teachers.

Our goals remain to work with the GTA leadership to do more for our educators while ensuring the Gloucester Public Schools can live within its means and continue to make strides for our whole community.  As we have made clear throughout this process, we are confident that, by working in good faith with the GTA, we can reach an agreement benefiting teachers, students, and the district.

We also hope our honest and upfront communications can help reach our teachers and community members to ensure we can avoid the kind of strife and disruptions other communities have seen.

The Gloucester School Committee has stayed committed to fostering an environment in which Gloucester students can become successful, engaged, life-long learners that feel a strong sense of belonging. We have valued the GTA’s input throughout negotiations and recognize that students may only achieve our goals with the support and guidance of our teachers and educators.  

However, the reality is that proposals made by the GTA throughout this process risk seriously straining the city’s finances and potentially reducing the amount of time our teachers work with our students and each other.

Among the issues on the table are educator pay and expanding paid leave benefits.

Educator Pay

The School Committee and the GTA just recently shared initial salary proposals on September 23rd. The School Committee’s opening proposal included salary increases of 15 to 25 percent, bringing top teacher salaries to $104,800. The GTA has called for increasing salaries by up to 55 percent, which would bring top teacher salaries to $125,000. We understand challenges posed by inflation and cost of living, and believe the School Committee’s proposed wage increases help teachers meet this moment, while keeping the city on strong financial footing. In contrast, accepting the GTA’s currently proposed salary increases would pose immense financial burdens on the city, and put at risk the ability to make much-needed investments in other areas of our schools.

Expanding Paid Leave Benefits

Along with negotiating salary increases, the School Committee and the GTA are considering expanding the District’s already generous benefits package. Currently, any teacher can accrue up to 165 sick days and can use their accumulated sick days for 12 weeks of fully paid parental or family leave. Other districts limit this type of paid leave to four weeks or fewer. The GTA has proposed to expand this benefit by eliminating any employee contribution and have all parental leave fully paid by the District. We fully support staff taking time for family and medical leave when they need to, but the GTA proposals have significant cost implications. The School Committee will continue to work towards a middle ground that is more in line with other communities.

The School Committee team will remain heavily focused on working towards an agreement. We know the only acceptable agreements must benefit all Gloucester students, and be mindful of taxpayers.

Our next negotiation session is on October 29, and we will provide an update following our meeting. You can read previous updates on our website here.

Paraprofessional Negotiations Update

We also want to let you know that the Gloucester School Committee’s next mediation session with the Gloucester Association of Education Paraprofessionals (GAEP) is this Tuesday, October 22. As you may know, we are negotiating separately with GAEP and the two sides have been working with a state mediator since January. Since the beginning of negotiations with the paraprofessionals, the School Committee has continued to increase its wage proposal and has offered salary increases for existing employees of 27% to 42%. Additionally, the highest paid paraprofessionals would earn $28 per hour. Providing our paraprofessionals a competitive wage is of paramount importance, and we know that our proposal achieves this. As we move towards our 10th mediation session with GAEP, finding common ground must be the focus. You can see more information about GAEP Negotiations here.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Clancy

Chairperson

Gloucester School Committee

Click to below to view the School Committee's Ground Rules Proposal