Haverhill’s educational support professionals yesterday ratified a new contract with the Haverhill School Committee, cementing the accord just as the union looks for a new president.
The School Committee already approved the agreement 5-1 in public session last Thursday. As negotiations were wrapping up in the last two weeks, Haverhill Education Association President Anthony J. Parolisi told members he was stepping down to take a temporary position this summer with the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Parolisi told WHAV his new role as a field representative and organizer builds on his local work.
“Taking a lot of the skills that I have learned as president and executive committee member and put to use with our organizing in Haverhill and hoping to apply them in other locals around the state,” he said.
Those skills include helping other union members identify common problems, develop collective actions to solve them and help them become agents of change.
As for the fall and beyond, Parolisi said he is keeping his options open. “I hope that I will do well and I hope that a permanent position might become available. At that point, then I’ll have to make a decision.”
Parolisi came to work for Haverhill Public Schools as a full-time substitute at Haverhill High School during November 2005. He became active with the union when he became a full-time teacher at the Dr. Albert B. Consentino School during the 2016-2017 school year.
Depending on whether there are competing candidates for the union president’s job, a special election would take place Thursday, June 17.
The new contract with educational support professionals provides a 2% increase for the current year, paid retroactively to last July 1; another 1.5% increase to take effect July 1, 2022; and a three-step pay scale for the next school year beginning at $21 per hour for one to three years of service, $24 per hour for four to nine years of service and $27 per hour for 10 or more years of service. New hires with bachelors’ degrees start at the second step. In addition, the number of work days increase from 181 to 182 and the schools will allocate $20,000 annually for tuition reimbursement.
Haverhill Education Association represents teachers, educational support professionals, clerical staff and security guards.