On Monday morning, members of the Chelsea Teachers Union “walk-in” at all 11 of the district’s schools to demonstrate the members support for the Union’s contract proposals, including paid parental and family medical leave, smaller class sizes and caseloads, and wages, particularly for the districts low-paid paraprofessionals and clerks.
The union has been in negotiations with the Chelsea Public Schools since March, and while union members said progress has been made on a number of issues, it continues to advocate strongly for paid leave, living and competitive wages, and the working conditions educators need to create the schools their students deserve, such as smaller class sizes and caseload caps for multilingual educators and special education staff.
“If we want to retain a staff that represents our community we need to pay them a respectable and liveable wage,” said Kathryn Anderson, President of the Chelsea Teachers Union. “If we want great educators to continue teaching here when they start a family, we need to provide them with paid parental and family medical leave. If we want to give our students the best education possible, we need to make sure they have smaller class sizes, and individual support from multilingual educators and special education staff who are paid a livable wage.”
Union officials stated that the district’s current wage proposal for paraprofessionals would result in a starting wage of just $26,410 annually at the end of the contract. According to the union, that figure is well below a living wage in the city of Chelsea.
On April 29, the union submitted its latest proposal, including 12 weeks of paid parental and family medical leave, separate stipends for paras who are toileting students and working in sub-separate classrooms, class size and caseload caps, and competitive wages, according to Anderson.
The union proposal includes lengthening the school day by five minutes at the ELC and CHS, and ten minutes at all other schools, as well as other provisions to ensure that educators have more time with students.
“As paras, we are putting out fires all day, and as rewarding as this is, it is exhaustingly demanding, both physically and emotionally,” said Wanda Vega, a Sub-Separate paraprofessional at Chelsea High School. “Too often, our kids, who are some of the most vulnerable and high-needs in the district, aren’t getting the high quality care they need and deserve at this stage. In order to retain dedicated and qualified support in the district and for our future students, we are asking for livable wages in our contract, because it’s what we, the kids, and the community deserve.”
Chelsea Public Schools employee Victoria Padovas said that after an emergency C-section and post-birth complications put a strain on her being able to bond with her newborn, she was excited to be able to take maternity leave and spend more time with her.
“However, that feeling was quickly stripped away from me because I could not afford to continue to not be paid,” said Padovas. “I felt like I was being forced back to work when I was not ready. Allowing the hardworking teachers and staff of Chelsea Public Schools paid parental leave is one step closer to strengthening the development of our children.”
In a statement, Chelsea Public School administrators stated that they have continued to meet for negotiations, “with the goal of reaching contracts that address the needs of staff, students and the entire community. We look forward to our continued work towards this important goal.”
Anderson, Vega, and Padovas were among the Chelsea Teachers Union officials who addressed the school committee during the public speaking portion of last week’s meeting.
Several committee members thanked those from the union for telling their stories and for their commitment to the district’s students.
“I’m hoping we can work together to find some mutually agreeable contract, because wanting to have a family is real, and all of your points, I personally believe, are valid,” said committee member Jonathan Gomez-Pereira. “Thank you for sharing that, and I hope that you will all continue to stay in Chelsea, and I’m hoping we can make that happen.”