Teachers and Staff Members at Square One 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 and are committed to continue helping make Square One a place that provides quality care and learning for our community.

As Square One Teachers and Staff Members, we also recognize the dire financial need that our fellow union members face because of the ever-increasing cost of living in New England. We also recognize the vital and invaluable work that we perform for our community at Square One and members’ desire for fair and equitable compensation for this work.

We began our collective bargaining negotiation in March 2025 with a desire to negotiate terms that would allow us to continue this work and serving the community we care so deeply about. At our most recent bargaining session in October 2025, management proposed:

A. A total of 11.35% wage increase over the course of our three year contract; 6.6% in the first year, 2.5% in the second year, 2.25% in the third year.

B. The elimination of the seniority pay bump that rewards teachers and staff for their continued service at Square One and helping to make build our community.

According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a single person with no children or dependents would need to make $22.90 per hour to make a living wage in Springfield, MA, where our centers are located. Currently, nearly all Square One employees make below this living wage. The current proposal by Square One management would leave the majority of teachers and staff well below a a living and hourly wage with the cost of living likely to increase each year. Our fellow members face housing and food insecurity, difficult financial choices between the necessities each month, and now, given their proposal, an uncertain future at Square One.

For the reasons listed above, we call on Square One Management to:

1. Negotiate a fair and equitable proposal that brings Square One teachers and staff up to a living wage appropriate to the Springfield, MA area.

2. Be transparent with the Union regarding the current financial status of the institution and provide necessary documentation to the Union's bargaining committee.

3. Respect the seniority of staff and rescind the proposal to remove the seniority wage bump from our collective bargaining agreement.

4. Invest in our school and in high quality care by investing in teachers and staff so that we can continue to do the work we value so deeply.