Boston Teachers Union Reaches Tentative Agreement on 3-Year Contract with Boston Public Schools
Late on Tuesday, March 18, the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) announced it had struck a tentative agreement with Boston Public Schools for a new teacher contract.
WHDH-TV 7 News Boston reported the announcement that the agreement would run for three years and provide raises for all teachers, focusing first on the lowest-paid teachers.
Over the past several months, the BTU has organized several demonstrations to make its members’ voices heard. MassLive reported that members of the union had planned to hold a rally on Wednesday, March 19, outside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s “State of the City” address if no agreement had been reached.
According to Boston 25 News, the announcement of the deal comes after a year of negotiations. The existing labor contract, which expired on Aug. 31, 2024, impacts nearly 8,500 educators.
For several months, grassroots efforts, pickets, and walk-ins among teachers, families, and community supporters have all been aimed at getting a new contract for teachers.
“This tentative agreement includes important guarantees such as improved in-classroom staffing levels for students with disabilities, meaningful changes to wages especially for paraprofessionals, and other key improvements to learning and working conditions in the Boston Public Schools,” BTU President Erik Berg said in a statement made Tuesday night.
The union said its members, now more than 10,000, would need to review the details of the agreement and ratify it by voting. The group could also choose to return to the bargaining table to seek a better deal.
“We have engaged in a robust and productive process, and we look forward to our continued work with BPS educators and staff as BTU members review the agreement and prepare for their ratification vote,” wrote Wu, Superintendent Mary Skipper, and School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson in a joint letter to district families on Tuesday.
