News from AFT Massachusetts and President Jessica Tang - May 2024

A Message from Jessica Tang

On Monday, we observed Memorial Day, and honored the lives of the service members who died while on duty in the service of our country. On Memorial Day and every day, we can honor their sacrifice by working to protect the rights they defended with their lives.

It was wonderful to see so many AFT Massachusetts members at this month’s annual convention, and I was incredibly honored to be elected as the next President of our statewide union. I want to thank outgoing President Beth Kontos for her leadership as our President for the past six years, for the comradery we shared during my time as President of the Boston Teachers Union, and for her dedication to students, educators, and union members throughout her career. She will be staying on for the next few months as our Special Projects Manager to assist with the transition and appreciate her for doing so!

I look forward to working together with all the members of AFT Massachusetts to build our power, not just as AFT Massachusetts members, but as a labor movement and in partnership with community allies. Together, we will amplify the voices of workers, students, families, and our neighbors, and continue to build the great schools and communities we deserve. My goal is to visit each local some time this year. If you have an upcoming meeting or event that I can attend, please let me know!

Read on for updates on several of our union’s activities and priorities this month.

Lawrence update

For more than a decade, students, families, and educators in Lawrence have been subjected to a deeply flawed system of state takeover that has gotten in the way of efforts to improve student outcomes, while taking away local community voice. We are working closely with the Lawrence Teachers Union and community allies to ensure that Lawrence Public Schools exit state receivership and return to truly democratic local control.

But this month, the appointed Lawrence Alliance for Education board disregarded months of community input and moved to fill the extremely important superintendent position with a candidate that was not deemed qualified. Instead, the process was changed to push through a candidate with political connections to the Mayor. We are urging DESE Commissioner Johnston and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to ensure a fair, transparent process and appoint the candidate that has the highest qualifications. The students of Lawrence deserve no less. Click here to write a letter to express your disapproval with the Lawrence superintendent selection process!

Contract campaigns

Congratulations to the Boston Public Library Professional Staff Association and the Holliston Federation of Teachers on reaching tentative agreements!  Several other AFT Massachusetts locals are engaged in high-profile contract campaigns, including Salem, Fall River, Boston, and Chelsea. See the ‘solidarity events’ section below for opportunities to support their campaigns.

Beacon Hill update

There is a lot happening on Beacon Hill as we approach the end of the state’s two-year legislative session. The ‘R+’ bill — which would allow current educators who weren’t properly enrolled in the Teachers' Alternate Retirement Plan (TARP) to opt into the enhanced TARP retirement benefits that educators hired after July 1, 2001 receive — was reported out of the Public Service Committee and is now before the House Ways and Means Committee for its review. We are advocating to bring it up for a vote this session.

We received good news about the Fair Share Amendment: collections from the state’s new tax on incomes over $1 million were up by $800 million in the first ten months of the fiscal year, nearly doubling initial projections. This will ultimately mean more funding for transportation and public education throughout the state.

With passage of the State Senate’s budget last week, a conference committee of House and Senate members will now be appointed to negotiate a final budget for the FY25 fiscal year. While both budgets make historic levels of investment in public education, AFTMA will continue to advocate for additional funding throughout the budget process to meet the needs of our students and communities for strong public services.

Summer opportunities

Questions about student debt? AFT is hosting virtual student debt clinics on June 13 and 24, 2024 ET to help our members navigate their debt. Learn more about PSLF and how you can save with Summer. Register: https://cvent.me/17XZka 

• June 3: Chelsea Teachers Union Rally. 3pm outside of Williams Middle School, 180 Walnut St, Chelsea, MA 02150. We will rally and then march into bargaining.
• June 5: Boston Teachers Union Rally. 4:30pm outside of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St, Roxbury MA 02119. We will rally and march around the school department building.

Solidarity events - community