Educators press committee to engage in bargaining, urge living wages and paid family leave

Representatives of the Educational Association of Worcester and educators across the district urged the school committee to prioritize contract negotiations and staff retention.

Melissa Verdier, president of the EAW, said multiple EAW contracts expired June 30 and that bargaining for successor collective bargaining agreements has proceeded without visible participation from some elected committee members. Verdier listed scheduled bargaining sessions in September and invited committee members to attend.

Kim Wanja, second vice president of the EAW and a South High teacher, urged the committee to negotiate paid family medical leave for educators, saying the benefit is commonly negotiated across the Commonwealth and is needed to attract and retain high‑quality staff. Alex Rivera Ortiz and Melinda Martin also spoke about wages, describing educators as underpaid and asking the committee to adopt 'thriving wage' language rather than minimal living‑wage framing.

Committee members acknowledged the comments and the district emphasized that negotiations are ongoing; no immediate binding contract change was made at the meeting.