School leaders reach tentative deal with CTA

After more than a full year of negotiations, the Canton School Committee and Superintendent Derek Folan are pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement with the Canton Teachers Association (CTA) on a new employment contract for bargaining units A and E.

The process reached a successful conclusion after a third mediation meeting on Tuesday, January 24.

“This has been a long and thorough process,” said School Committee Chair Kristian Darigan Merenda, “but ultimately it is clear we all had the same goal: to put forward labor agreements that allow the Canton Public Schools to move forward and continue to provide the best possible education for the children of our community. I want to thank the negotiation teams on both sides of the table for finding common ground and reaching consensus.”

Superintendent Folan also acknowledged the diligence and hard work put forward by the CPS negotiating committee and CTA leadership. “Our common goal was to create a sustainable contract that benefits our students, teachers, educational support professionals, and the Canton community,” he said. “I am very pleased that we have come to terms on contracts for Unit A (teachers) and Unit E (education support professionals).”

A primary sticking point during the negotiations process had concerned the use of personal days, as school leaders pushed to end the practice of employees using them consecutively and/or to extend long weekends or vacation weeks, citing the impact of the practice on school culture and morale. Talks between the two sides would eventually reach a standstill, and CTA members voted in late December to adopt a work-to-rule job action that continued into the new year. The parties subsequently returned to the bargaining table, and on January 14, the CTA announced the suspension of work-to-rule after making significant progress toward a deal.

While no specific terms have been disclosed, the CTA shared in a recent social media post that the tentative contracts for both units A and E include four weeks of paid parental leave that is independent of sick time and preserve “valuable language about the use of personal days.”

For education support professionals, the CTA said the agreement includes a minimum pay increase of 17 percent in year one of the contract and improved language on substitute pay when covering for a teacher or an ABA tutor.

For teachers, the post notes the contract will include an 8 percent pay increase over three years, plus an additional 1.6 percent increase for those on the top step (most experienced educators) in year two.

Both the CTA and School Committee are expected to soon hold a ratification vote, and school officials are hopeful this process can be wrapped up on or before February 16.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, CTA President Lauren Mahan said the Canton Teachers Association is pleased to have reached tentative agreements with the School Committee on contracts for both bargaining units.

“These tentative agreements, which are subject to ratification votes by both parties before taking effect, include several important provisions which will benefit the educators and students of Canton,” she said. “While there is always more progress to be made, we are glad that we were able to reach an agreement that will benefit the educators, students, and community of Canton.”

Mahan said the CTA intends to hold a ratification vote for both contracts “as soon as feasible.”

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Posted by Jay Turner on Feb 3 2023. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.