Prop 2 ½ Overrides Succeeding, Contract Campaigns Underway
Prop 2 ½ Overrides Succeeding, Contract Campaigns Underway
Greetings,
It’s a week of good news and bad news.
Good – Georgetown, Hudson and Manchester-Essex all won Proposition 2 ½ overrides, saving jobs and protecting the education of the students in those towns. Through grassroots organizing, community engagement and unwavering commitment, these educators mobilized support and turned out voters to invest in public education. The MTA was proud to support these local initiatives, reflecting the growing influence of educators in shaping policies that benefit students and communities across the Commonwealth.
Bad – the chaos that the Trump administration is sowing in higher ed is having devastating effects on the research mission of our campuses. Over $30 million in grants has been cancelled at UMass Amherst so far this year – for no reason and with no notice. With further planned cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, we need to prevent what could be $100 million or more in lost grants to our public university research programs.
Good – there is something exciting brewing in the 413! Chicopee, Holyoke and Springfield, as well as Greenfield and Northampton are engaged in strong contract campaigns. Join our Holyoke members on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. for a rally supporting Holyoke Teachers Association members as they head into bargaining again.
Bad – Because Massachusetts has a tradition of embracing immigrants, the Trump administration is targeting the state. The horrific videos of a Worcester mother and daughter being whisked away by a masked SWAT team of ICE officers, and the increasing number of our communities being targeted, call on us to help our members and families learn their rights and know how to get help. Please check out the resources at massteacher.org/protect.
Good – The Springfield Republican gets it completely right on Fair Share: “Massachusetts is in an enviable spot. We do not have to guess what will happen if we tax wealthier earners at a higher rate. We know. State revenue will grow and the wealthy, despite claims to the contrary, will stick around.” Thanks MTA members – YOU made that happen!
MTA Events, Opportunities and Solidarity Actions
RetirementPlus Update
As part of the state House of Representatives budget amendment process, the MTA had a major victory with the adoption of language to create a new, one-time opportunity for teachers to enroll in RetirementPlus. The MTA is urging members to contact their senators to ask that the Senate follow the House by including this critical priority in its version of the budget. Visit massteacher.org/retirementplus for more information.
The Assault on Pensions and and How to Fight Back
When: Tuesday, May 20, 4-5:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual
This workshop will explain how pensions work, how they are funded and why Wall Street wants to eliminate them altogether. This workshop will explore issues of pension funding, 401(k)s and 403(b)s, and how we can strategize to protect our retirement and invest in a better future. Together, participants will discuss who makes the decisions about our money, and how to make sure we can protect and improve our retirement and our world by making sure our money is invested prudently and in line with educators' values. Register here.
An Urgent Call to Action! MTA Retired Speakers Series
When: Wednesday, June 4, 3 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Join the MTA Retired Members Committee and special guests MTA President Max Page, Vice President Deb McCarthy and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, as we discuss the current state of affairs at the state and national levels and plan to make our united MTA voices heard. Register here.
Write a Postcard to Your Legislators Today
Our public schools, colleges and universities are facing severe fiscal challenges that threaten to undermine our capacity to deliver a high-quality public education. That is why students, educators, parents and community leaders are all counting on the legislature to provide the funding we need to help address the main drivers of the fiscal crisis in every corner of the Commonwealth. Together, we can ensure that every school, college and university has the resources that students and educators need to succeed. Learn more and send an online card.
“How is the Fiscal Crisis impacting you, your students and your community?”
- Pick up your postcards at an MTA Regional Office.
- Drop off your postcards at an MTA Regional Office by June 5.
- Stay tuned for more information about our postcard drop off at the State House.
Fiscal Crisis Action Team Meeting When: Monday, June 2, 5-6 p.m. Where: Virtual
Join MTA members, parents, students, community activists, and municipal leaders from across the Commonwealth as we take strategic action to win legislative and budgetary fixes to the growing fiscal crisis impacting public schools and colleges across the Commonwealth.
This meeting will bring together all three of our Fiscal Crisis Action Teams (Rural, Regional, and Vocational; Minimum Aid Communities; Chapter 70 Inflation). Register here.
Submit Written Testimony on MTA Legislative Priorities
Anyone who would like to submit written testimony for one or more of our MTA legislative priorities may do so through the following link. Written testimony submissions will be submitted on your behalf to the appropriate legislative committee. Members are welcome to submit multiple pieces of testimony.
Springfield and Boston Pride Events
When: June 7 and June 14
Where: Stearns Square, Springfield, and Copley Square, Boston
Save the Date: Juneteenth Celebration
When: Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Fuller Middle School, Framingham
The Ethnically Marginalized Affairs Committee invites you to its 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration. This year's theme is “Literacy is Liberation” and will feature storytelling by Len Cabral, drumming by Sidy Maïga and sounds of the African diaspora by DJ Lady Ly. There will be breakfast from Neighborhood Kitchen, desserts by Gerly’s Ice Cream, as well as a book swap, family activities and more. Registration will open soon! More information is located here.
NEW MTA Benefits Program – Professional Development Graduate Courses
MTA Benefits has partnered with Virtual Education Software and Lake Superior State University to offer MTA members up to nine semester hours of graduate (transcript) credit for $275! Members may purchase this annual subscription and access more than 35 online graduate education courses with no additional costs. Please check with your school district and/or state licensing agency to verify that these course offerings will meet your district and/or state requirements for salary advancement and/or state certificate re-licensure. Visit the MTA Benefits website to learn more.
2025 Women2Women America International Leadership Program
Applications are open for Massachusetts girls and young women, ages 15–19, who are interested in joining the Women2Women America International Leadership Program. The event is taking place from July 22–31 in Boston at Emerson College.
Scholarships are available exclusively for Massachusetts applicants, thanks to the support of the MTA, Eastern Bank and Berkshire Bank. Step into your power, meet young women leaders from around the world, and be part of something inspiring. Apply here.
Political Education
MTA staff had the benefit of learning with Bill Fletcher Jr., a revered labor union activist and writer. Check out his piece in In These Times. Bill argues that an essential strategy for winning against the regime we face in Washington is to deepen our understanding of what we are facing. These are not just “attacks on public education.” These are organized, relentless assaults by an authoritarian government on democracy and the role of government in securing the common good, with public education in the forefront. So I’ll urge you to learn, ideally with other union members:
Read – “On Tyranny,” “How Fascism Works,” “Erasing History,” and other recent titles, many of which are available for free at the MTA Reads site.
Learn – Check out all the offerings of our Training and Professional Learning Division. And sign up for Summer Conference, July 27 to 30, to learn with and from 600 other MTA activists from around the state. If you’ve never gone, this is your year!
In solidarity,
Max and Deb