Striking Teachers Celebrate Huge Victory

A listener calls in from Massachusetts with news of a big win for teachers. After seven days, the Woburn Teachers Association has reached an agreement with Mayor Scott Galvin and the Woburn School Committee to end the teachers' strike. The sides reached a tentative agreement on financial packages for teachers and paraprofessionals, followed by a "return-to-work" agreement after further negotiations. Class resumed on Monday, and Woburn teachers will not face disciplinary action from the city as a result of the strike. The WTA will pay $225,000 of the $270,000 in costs incurred by the city during the strike and donate $20,000 to local charities. The new four-year contract significantly increases the pay for Woburn's education support professionals, creates a more competitive wage for teachers and slightly lowers fourth- and fifth-grade class sizes. Watch the Majority Report live Monday–Friday at 12 p.m. EST on YouTube OR listen via daily podcast at http://www.Majority.FM https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm #SamSeder #EmmaVigeland #MajorityReport #politics #news #progressive #leftist #democrats #liberal SUPPORT the show by becoming a member: http://www.jointhemajorityreport.com/ Download TMR's FREE app: http://www.majorityapp.com TMR MERCH: http://www.shop.majorityreportradio.com CHECK OUT MORE from the MR crew: Matt Binder DOOMED https://www.youtube.com/MattBinder Brandon Sutton DISCOURSE https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Emma Vigeland ESVN https://www.youtube.com/ESVNShow Matt Lech LEFT RECKONING https://www.youtube.com/LeftReckoning OTHER LINKS: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Facebook: http://facebook.com/MajorityReport Twitter: http://twitter.com/MajorityFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majorityreport.fm/ Calling from a 978 area code. Oh geez. This is the final caller of the day. Oh boy. I think I didn't start doing a five-hour show. Come from a 978 area code. Now I know why all those streamers, so that's why I like Hasan. 18 hours a day or whatever he's doing 978 who's this where you calling from? We may have to go with somebody else? You better get here quick? Hello, is this me, yes? It's you. You made it. Hey, this is Christian from Massachusetts. Chris Massachusetts. Billerica. in Billerica. Okay yeah, it's on your mind? Calling with a little bit of some good labor news in the past month or so I'm not sure if you heard the Woburn Teachers Association had a strike at the beginning of February. I don't think I did hear that. the Woburn? Yes. okay. So it lasted at about for about five days the strike was started because in 2021 that was when the last contract was signed. And they had a teacher's got a total of a one percent increase as I believe what the number was for their pay. And then going to this past school year they actually had no contract signed. So they've been working for the first half of the school year with no guarantees. And the city of Woburn is going to sit on its ass until the deadline comes or when the teachers are threatening a strike. And that time passed so for the entire week from the first to the fifth Woburn schools were just completely shut down all week. And ultimately the strike did actually succeed. The teachers were about 550 Educators plus and I don't know if the paraprofessionals are included in that? Just as there are 550 members of the Urban Teachers Association. Great. But ultimately the strike was a success. The teachers are going to get a 13.5 raise over four years. And the paraprofessionals from the same time they're actually getting a 40 raise. Which while is a kind of an astronomical number the starting salary before that for a paraprofessional and Woburn was 22 000 a year. And people should know that Woburn is really like Metro Boston at this point. I mean it has been for a long time. It's within the 95 Beltway right? yeah absolutely for the most part if I remember correctly and a little bit crosses over to the north side of that but it might as well be the whole thing. Yeah and I don't know I mean I haven't been in that area in years but I see what's happening in Worcester. So if you know housing has gone up in Worcester I imagine it's gone up in Woburn without a doubt.