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December 19, 2024
CHELSEA, Mass. – On Wednesday evening, December 11, the Chelsea School Committee and the Chelsea Teachers’ Union (CTU) reached tentative agreements on new contracts for Chelsea Public Schools educators, clerical and paraprofessional staff. These agreements were reached as a result of collaborative negotiations between the School Committee and CTU.
These agreements reflect a shared vision for the future of Chelsea Public Schools (CPS) and demonstrate a collective commitment to providing an exceptional education for all students. These new contracts will play a crucial role in the effort to recruit and retain highly qualified educators through the offering of attractive compensation and benefits packages. The contracts reflect the impact that Chelsea educators, clerks and paraprofessionals have on the broader Chelsea community.
“By prioritizing wages that are competitive with surrounding districts and emphasizing the importance of paid parental and family medical leave benefits puts CPS in a position to better attract great educators and make it easier for them to have long careers in the district,” said Superintendent Dr. Almi G. Abeyta.
Highlights of the contract agreements related to wages include:
- Educators will receive a 13 percent wage increase over the duration of the contract
- Paraprofessionals will receive a 13 percent wage increase over the duration of the contract. Additionally, paraprofessionals will receive the following differential adjustments:
- In FY25, paraprofessionals will receive a $3,500 differential to their base pay.
- In FY26, a $2,000 differential will be added.
- In FY27, a $1,500 differential will be applied.
- Clerks will receive a 13 percent wage increase over the duration of the contract. Two more steps (Steps 4 and 5) will be added to the clerk pay scale. Additionally, clerks will receive the following differential adjustments:
- In FY25, clerks will receive a $1,000 differential to their base pay.
- In FY26, a $1,000 differential will be added.
Highlights of the contract agreements related to leave policies include:
- Parental Leave policies have been updated to align with the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (MPLA) and FMLA. Employees have three options when using parental leave:
- Option A: Continuous statutory leave (8-12 weeks).
- Option B: Two separate periods within one year.
- Option C: Extended leave (up to 1 year, with conditions).
- Beginning July 1, 2025, all units will receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave (three weeks prior to July 1, 2025) that is not deducted from sick time.
- Updates to the use of Sick Leave include using sick leave for:
- Up to 15 days per year to care for a sick or injured immediate family member (spouse, partner, child, parent).
- Up to 45 additional days (with FMLA approval) for serious health conditions of a child, spouse/partner, or parent.
Additional highlights of the agreements include:
- A new $1,000 annual stipend for certified bilingual/biliterate employees.
- Increase in longevity bonuses for all units.
- A CPS alumni hiring incentive for all units.
- Educator hourly rates of pay will increase from $35/hour (FY25) to $37/hour (FY26) to $38/hour (FY27).
- A pilot program for class size limits effective from 2025-2027.
- Clerical unit employees will be eligible for tuition reimbursement of one-half payment for up to three courses per year. Reimbursement is capped at $10,000 annually for the unit.
- Provisions that will support professional development opportunities, enhance working conditions, and foster a positive and collaborative school culture.
The educator, paraprofessional and clerical units ratified the contract agreements on Monday, December 16. The Chelsea School Committee voted on and officially approved the contracts on Wednesday, December 18.
