The school committee in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has reached an agreement with the Wellesley Educators Association on a four-year, $11.57 million package that boosts compensation for teachers and staff, expands benefits, and provides additional support for students.
This comes after the school board filed a strike petition with the Department of Labor Relations to block a potential strike.
The school committee claimed that there was "significant evidence that union leadership was laying the groundwork for an illegal strike vote to happen this Friday night, with a strike to begin Monday, May 15."
The deal includes the following:
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- A compensation package that includes cost of living adjustments totaling 11% for teachers and administrators, 15% for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals, and 13.75% for secretaries and other positions
- Additional retention payments for all hourly workers in units C, D, and E, boosting compensation for the lowest-paid educational support professionals to more than $31,000
- “Just Cause” language for members of Unit C
- One week of paid parental leave plus a minimum of seven additional paid weeks out of sick or other accrued time, with access expanded to all members
- An additional 30 minutes per week of contractual prep and planning time for elementary classroom teachers
- Scheduled after-school office hours for high school and middle school students
- Additional supervision for elementary students during arrival times
It would be in effect through June 30, 2026.
