Mediation Update

Weston Educators have been working the entire school year under an expired contract! The Weston Education Association (WEA) and Weston School Committee began negotiating with a state appointed mediator on Wednesday, March 22nd, and have made significant progress toward a fair contract agreement. 

Over the course of 10 Mediation sessions, the WEA is happy to have a tentative agreement to add contractual language to protect elementary teacher preparation time during the student day to ensure that educators are best able to meet student needs each day. Weston educators also value our tentative agreement to significantly improve our Paid Leave policy so that up to 5 Sick Days can be used to care for family members if necessary. Finally, teachers anticipate agreement on improved contractual language that will allow for some professional flexibility for Weston Educators within their 8 hours of work on school premises.

Throughout negotiations, Weston’s School Committee has held strong to retaining Weston’s unparalleled 8 hour, on premises, teaching day. The School Committee has also received concessions from the WEA on flexibility with the workload assignment of Department Heads and High School Advisory.

The remaining issue is salary. The WEA’s most recent salary position is 13% over 4 years (average of 3.25% per year) and the Weston School Committee’s current salary position is 11% over 4 years (average of 2.75% per year). The WEA sees a path toward full agreement on salary and remaining contract language details.

At this point, nearly all school districts have reached agreement with their teachers. Several districts, including Dover-Sherborn, have even reached agreement on contracts before they expired. Dover-Sherborn educators will be earning an effective 9%-10% salary increase over 3 years. Wellesley Educators reached agreement on a new contract that includes major pay increases for Education Support Professionals, significant Paid Parental Leave benefits and an 11% increase for teachers over 4 years. Finally, Lexington educators reached agreement on a contract at the end of April that includes significant workload improvements, Paid Parental Leave, and an effective 14% salary increase over 4 years. 

Weston can value the work of their talented and dedicated teachers and remain competitive with surrounding, peer districts by providing a salary increase that respects inflation and reflects Weston’s unusually long teacher work day. 

Please Support Weston Educators as we work to reach a fair agreement before the end of the school year.