PETITION: Support Nonotuck Community School Teachers in their Campaign for a Fair and Equitable Contract

Teachers at Nonotuck Community School are incredibly passionate and dedicated to the work that we do. Our ability to teach at the school has allowed us to form deep relationships with the families in our community. We love and value our work deeply and are committed to continue helping make Nonotuck Community School a place that provides quality care and learning for our community.

However, we have been bargaining with management’s committee for nearly six months to ensure staff and a quality educational experience are prioritized through:

1. Wage Increases to Provide Teachers with a Living Wage in Western Massachusetts.

• The union calls for a substantial increase in wages to address the pay disparity between current wages and the cost of living in Western Massachusetts. As of now. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, all Nonotuck Teachers make less than a living wage for a single adult with no children in Northampton, MA.

2. Preservation of Quality Healthcare Offered to Nonotuck Teachers

• Management has proposed removing language that guarantees teachers health insurance plans with equal coverages and plan options. The union seeks to keep these guarantees in place to ensure that teachers’ health and access to healthcare continues to be a priority at Nonotuck Community School.

3. Retaining Access to Sick Time, Personal Days, and other paid benefit time for Probationary Employees

• Management has proposed eliminating probationary employees’ access to sick time, personal days, bereavement leave, and jury leave.

• The union proposes that management continue to permit the use of sick time, personal days, and other paid benefit time for probationary employees in accordance with a long-standing past practice at Nonotuck.

4. More Support and Professional Development for Teachers

• The union has made proposals that request a greater level of contact and support with management, including a more substantive evaluation process and increasing the amount of professional development offered.

5. Protections and Formal Processes to Keep Nonotuck Community School Free of Bullying and Harassment

• The union has proposed a new language that will allow teachers to have stronger protections from and greater recourse to address instances of bullying and harassment in the workplace.

For the reasons listed above, we are asking for support from our communities in our efforts to address these important issues that teachers face at Nonotuck Community School.

We call on Nonotuck Community School Management to invest in our school and in high quality care by investing in staff so that we can continue to do the work we value so deeply. Please add your name to our petition and share widely to ask Nonotuck management and the Board of Directors to settle a fair and equitable contract now!

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UPDATE 4/2/2025

Hello Community Members and Supporters,

First of all, thank you so much for your support of Nonotuck Teachers Union and the deeply needed demands that we’re fighting for. We wanted to take a moment to update you on what has happened since initially sharing our petition and the important actions that are taking place in May of 2025.

Since the petition, management has responded in the form of a conditional package to our proposals. Given that management explicitly shared that they did not intend to engage with our remaining proposals, economic or non-economic, until they received all of our economic proposals, they’re package is very long. Management is also planning to unilaterally implement changes in the health insurance that would substantially increase the cost of health insurance to all workers. All of the items in the package are contingent upon agreeing to the total package of proposals. Below is a general overview of the package and demands management has brought to the table.

Management’s Response

· Management proposes lengthening the probationary period from “90 calendar days” to “90 days worked.”

· Allowing Probationary Employees use of only 1 of their 3 Personal Days.

· Management proposes a complete revision of Workload and Ratios – including shifts in classroom ratios.

· Management proposes 3% increases from FY 25, 3.5% increases for FY 26, and 3% increases for FY 27, totaling 9.5% over the life of the contract. The union asked whether the 6+% drop in healthcare costs to Nonotuck was used in their determination of their proposed wages. Management emphasized they’d work on the article up until the day of bargaining, but did not elaborate on how these savings were accounted for in their calculation. Their proposed increase is in line with the projected budget they shared prior to the news the healthcare rates would drop which they received on April 1st. Additionally, when asked why their proposal was so low in light of the living wage requirements of Northampton, MA, they stated that increases would require a tuition increase. For reference, the union proposed 5%-10%-5% over the same period.

· Management proposed only offering retroactive pay if the union settles the contract by May 31st.

· Management incentivized acceptance of their Health Insurance proposal by offering a 1% additional wage increase if the union accepts their take-backs. Their language includes removal of the “equal” options language. Management also notified the union that beginning on May 1st of 2025, they intend to enforce potentially disputed language. Union members noted this also means an increase in what employees may pay for premiums. Management also expressed concern for uncertainty, stating “There’s money there, but who knows what could happen.”

· Management outright rejected union proposals for a 1% retirement increase, bullying and harassment protection language, additional professional development, late fees, and other changes the union proposed to articles such as progress reports.

Union members in attendance expressed a deep concern and disappointment about the proposals management chose to put forward and ended the session after the caucus. Additionally, members expressed concern about the way families were discussed at the table and disappointment in management’s expression of frustration about the process and the fact that it has been conducted piecemeal instead of in a more expedient and less time-consuming form for members of management’s committee.

Community Meeting for Current and Previous Nonotuck Parents

The Nonotuck Teachers Union invites ALL current and previous Nonotuck families to join us at Forbes Library on May 12th, 2025 from 5:30-7:00 PM to learn more about bargaining, our strike authorization vote, ways to support teachers at Nonotuck, and what happens next. If you'd like to attend virtually, you can sign up at https://tinyurl.com/CommMtgSignup to receive further communication from the Union and the link for the meeting.

Strike Authorization Vote and Deadline

On April 18th, 2025, a super majority of Nonotuck Community School Teaching staff took a vote to authorize a strike. All current teaching staff participated in person and via Zoom to take part in this historic vote. Additionally, they voted to set a strike deadline of May 27th at 5:00 AM. Nonotuck Teachers Union will continue to bargain in good faith with management in an effort to reach agreement on a fair and equitable contract.

The union has also elected to file an Unfair Labor Practice with the National Labor Relations Board regarding management’s decision to make unilateral changes over disputed issues relating to health insurance that will increase costs for members.

Since taking this vote, union members have received a huge outpouring of support from current parents, past parents, and community members. Together we all share a commitment to a just, inclusive, democratic, and thriving Nonotuck Community School. As we continue bargaining and building towards these actions if necessary, we will be in contact with ways you can participate and continue to support our teachers in their contract campaign.

Below is linked a poster that we encourage you to share with your communities and networks.

https://tinyurl.com/NonotuckPoster

Warmly,

The Teachers of Nonotuck Community School