Support Barre Teachers!

Help Barre Teachers Bargain a Fair Contract - Informational Picket Jan 29 and Board Meeting Feb 9

On Sunday, January 29th, Barre City and Town teachers will be holding an informational picket in downtown Barre, along with supporters from the AFL-CIO COPE Conference being held that same day at the Old Labor Hall. The informational picket will be from 12:30-1pm at the green in the center of Barre on Rte 302/Main St. Bring signs calling for a fair contract!

On Thursday, February 9th, 5:30 BSU Board Meeting at BSU office on Ayers St., Barre teachers will be attending a school board meeting as a full union membership and are asking community supporters to join them to call for a fair contract. Community members are encouraged to attend to speak to the importance of settling a fair contract with teachers. Public comment will be at the beginning of the meeting. All are welcome.

Background:
The Barre Education Association and Barre Town Education Association represent nearly 250 teachers within the Barre Supervisory Union. In Barre Town, the teachers' last contract expired in July; in Barre City, teachers are in their second year without a contract, working under a set of imposed working conditions that have cut pay. For the first time, Barre Town and City are negotiating for a single teachers’ contract, the result of state law calling for merged contracts. Since February, a team of negotiators from the town and the city have met with the district’s superintendent, but, unfortunately, no agreement has resulted.

Teachers believe talks have stalled because school board members have refused to negotiate at the bargaining table. Both sides have met nearly a dozen times, but the board has not made serious proposals on salary, health insurance and work-place rules. The school boards continue to ignore the fact that Barre teachers are among the lowest-paid in Central Vermont. The school boards continue to ignore the fact that the lack of a contract and low salaries is causing talented teachers to skip the district, and, in some cases, is even pushing teachers out of the district.

Both sides agreed to allow a neutral mediator to begin taking information with an aim toward evaluating each sides’ proposals. The mediator will release her recommendations in March. That recommendation, however, isn’t binding on either side. Teachers would appreciate community support to help make sure a fair contract is settled.