BEVERLY, MA — Beverly teachers and the School Committee remain about $4.3 million apart in wage increase proposals as teachers enter the third week of school since the expiration of the last collective bargaining agreement.
School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said in an update following the 11th negotiation session late last week that the BTA’s proposal would amount to a 24 percent increase over three years for most staff, while she said the School Committee’s proposal calls for an immediate increase of between 4 and 12.1 percent in the first year of the new deal, followed by increases of 4 percent and 3.5 percent in the following two years.
She said the gap in the proposals is about $4.3 million.
“Our goal remains to provide our students a high-quality education that fits within our city’s fiscal means,” Abell said. “We will take time to assess the financial impact of the BTA’s presentation (from Thursday) and provide an update to the community as soon as possible.”
The next negotiating session is set for Oct. 3.
“The School Committee is committed to reaching a swift and fair agreement to avoid any disruptions to student learning,” Abell said.
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Hundreds of students, parents and community members showed up in support of Beverly teachers as they engaged in the latest negotiation session for a new collective bargaining agreement inside Beverly High School on Thursday.
The Beverly Caregivers Supporting Teachers organized the rally that the Massachusetts Teachers Association said drew nearly 200 people wearing red shirts and carrying signs urging a new deal for the educators.
The BTA said more school support staff, substitute teachers and changes needed to “prioritize student needs” — such as longer recess for younger students — are also sticking points in negotiations.
“We now need a serious commitment from the School Committee and mayor to properly use our city’s resources to ensure paraprofessionals earn a living wage and teachers receive a professional salary,” BTA Co-President Andrea Sherman said last week. “It is on the School Committee to get a deal done quickly and end this crisis.”
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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