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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Boston teachers union holds 'walk-in' protest as contract talks drag on
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
While we get some much-needed rain today (and tomorrow), the Celtics are down in sunny Washington, D.C. to celebrate their NBA championship at the White House. President Biden is scheduled to congratulate the team around 4:30 p.m. (Here’s the livestream link.)
But first, the news:
Teacher unrest comes to Boston: Calls for new teacher union contracts are not limited to the North Shore this morning. Members of the Boston Teachers Union are holding “walk-in” protests outside more than two dozen schools before classes start today over what they see as a lack of progress in negotiations for Boston teachers’ new contract. The union’s last contract expired in August and they’ve been at the bargaining table since February. “We think that it’s time for the district and the city to settle this contract,” BTU President Erik Berg told WBUR’s Fausto Menard.
- What’s a walk-in protest? Basically, teachers and staff plan to arrive at work early to gather outside with flyers and signs. There may be some chants and TV trucks, too.
- What do they want? Berg says their first demand is extra staff to instruct students who have disabilities or who don’t primarily speak English. “Only in Boston are classroom teachers expected to provide the general ed services and the specialized instruction required by the individual education programs of students with disabilities,” Berg said. The union wants assurances that classes have additional teachers designated for those instruction plans. The union is also seeking higher raises — for paraprofessionals, in particular — to keep up with the city’s high cost of living.
- What’s next: Additional bargaining sessions between the union and the city are scheduled for today and Saturday. Funding is likely to be a sticking point, with the city already scrambling to address the impacts of an expected tax revenue shortfall.
- Zoom out: The protests come as disruptive teacher strikes in Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead have led to nearly two weeks of canceled classes. Gloucester officials said yesterday that kids will have to miss some school vacation days to make it up.
- Back in Boston, Berg declined to say whether the BTU would consider escalating their protests into a strike anytime soon.
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The Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe is now officially recognized by the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey signed an order yesterday granting the 200-member Plymouth-area tribe state recognition. “We’ve been waiting so long to get this done,” Melissa Ferretti, the tribe’s chairwoman, told WBUR’s Katie Cole.
- Why it matters: The recognition allows the tribe to establish a government-to-government relationship with the state, as well as access certain federal programs. Plus, there are intangible benefits. “In many ways, having the recognition it just really reaffirms our rightful place in history,” Ferretti said.
- What’s next: Ferretti hopes it’s a step toward joining the two other Native American tribes in Massachusetts with federal recognition.
Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: Healey officially signed the giant economic development bill yesterday, investing millions into the local life sciences and climate tech industries, clearing the way for a new professional soccer stadium in Everett and much, much more.
- Not everyone is applauding: Some consumer groups are objecting to part of the bill promoting ticket price transparency, which limits buyers’ ability to transfer tickets to other platforms.
OK, now it’s officially a trend: MIT says it will cover tuition for students from households making less than $200,000 a year starting next fall. WBUR’s Emily Piper-Vallillo reports the move raises the school’s previous tuition-free income threshold by $60,000.
- For students whose families earn up to $100,000, MIT says it will also cover all college expenses (i.e. housing, dining and books).
- MIT’s offer comes after Brandeis University and the UMass system announced similar programs in the past few weeks.
Fear not, Thanksgiving hosts: Despite the ongoing impacts from a cyberattack earlier this month, Stop & Shop says they’re “well stocked” with turkeys, hams, potatoes and other Thanksgiving staples.
- You may still see empty shelves for certain “fresh” goods, but the grocery chain says they are “working to restock those items and expect continuous improvement” ahead of the weekend.
P.S.— With the holiday now exactly a week away, our Cognoscenti team wants to hear your favorite Thanksgiving recipes and traditions. Not (just) because we want to steal those recipes, but so we can feature it in a coming roundup. No annual custom (or recipe) is too big or small, too traditional or weird. Fill out this form to share!
