Haverhill educators and the school department made “significant movement” toward reaching a contract agreement Wednesday, both sides confirmed Thursday.
Sources say members of the Haverhill Education Association (HEA), representing teachers, clerical unit and education support personnel, will receive an average of 1.5 annually for the three years covered by the new contract, but neither side would confirm. Originally, the city proposed zero percent for last year, 1 percent for the current year and 1.5 percent for next year. HEA First Vice President Ted Kempinski, negotiation committee chairman, said there are still major issues to be resolved.
“There are huge language issues that have to be resolved. Earlier start time, restricting the use of preparation time that is designed to prepare for classes and asking for high school teachers to teach an extra period a day,” he explained. “This is a significant increase in working time. The money they are talking about is the same amount everyone gets—police, firefighters, but they are not adding to workday or police and firefighters,” he said.
“If those aren’t resolved, they are deal breakers.”
School Committee President Scott W. Wood Jr. agreed progress was made.
“As chairman of the negotiating committee and president of the school committee, I promised a contract that was fair to taxpayers but would also help recruit and retain the best teachers for our students. I believe this deal does that. I respect the job our teachers do and I believe this contract makes sure we retain our best and brightest without bankrupting the system,” Wood said.
Both sides meet again next Monday at 3 p.m.
Scott Wood…you are so full of it!!!
If you are so concerned about not bankrupting the system you would have taken steps to privatize the janitors union like was proposed a few years ago but was shot down by Taxman Fiorentini. That move would have saved taxpayers over $650,000.00 a year without one employee losing their job. The same people, doing the exact same job, while the taxpayers get a huge cost reduction. Remember that Scott? Instead you just renegotiated the janitorial union contract ensuring they remain on the city payroll, and further ensuring Haverhill taxpayers are on the hook for their pensions…something which they would not have been had they been working for a private company.
But you’ve got a Director of Field Operations working on your reelection campaign now Scott. So you guys keep up the rhetoric, spin and outright lies and those of us paying attention will call you out on it for what it is….complete BS!
“As chairman of the negotiating committee and president of the school committee, I promised a contract that was fair to taxpayers but would also help recruit and retain the best teachers for our students. I believe this deal does that. I respect the job our teachers do and I believe this contract makes sure we retain our best and brightest without bankrupting the system,” Wood said. –
There is no being “fair” to taxpayers, and there’s no deal that will retain good teachers. Why? The city is simply too poor, surviving off of deficit spending bonds and whatever Rep. Brian Dempsey can legally steal from Beacon Hill. It’s pension systems is “matured”, which really means it’s a Ponzi, praying for “on the come” returns (thank goodness for The Fed). Of course, I don’t expect a School Board President who doesn’t believe in free speech to understand the minutia of these concepts.