December 29, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
Following six meetings between the salary and negotiations subcommittee and Hingham Education Association Unit C (custodians and maintenance workers) and after reaching a tentative agreement Dec. 11 for a 2023-2026 successor contract, a memorandum of agreement was unanimously approved this week by the School Committee and Select Board Representative Joseph Fisher.
“We had collaborative discussions with the Unit C negotiating team, and we believe that this agreement will benefit the custodians and maintenance employees, as well as the district,” Subcommittee Chair Kerry Ni told the Hingham Anchor.
The goal was to get this agreement ratified as quickly as possible so that Hingham Public Schools custodian and maintenance workers could receive back pay and the newly increased Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as soon as possible.
“We were hoping to meet last week, but our understanding is that the HEA bylaws require a waiting period between the tentative agreement and ratification, so Unit C was not able to ratify until Dec. 27,” Ni said. “We received an email from HEA President Jacqueline Beaupre stating that ‘the overwhelming majority of Unit C unanimously ratified the successor agreement,’ which was great news.”
On behalf of the subcommittee, Ni thanked the Unit C negotiating team — Rich Tworig, Al Duquette, and Laura Patnaude — “for their time and collaboration,” as well as HPS Custodial & Maintenance Supervisor Katie St. Clair for her guidance.
The MOA includes COLAs increased by 8.5 percent over the life of the contract; space and accommodation for employees to pump and safely store breast milk; an increase in tuition reimbursement for courses taken at an accredited college or university or for the cost of programs required to obtain or maintain a professional license related to their employment; up to three paid days for religious leave per school year; and clarification about the protective equipment and training and material provided for the safety of employees, as well as a way to request additional staff to assist with a job if needed for safety reasons, according to Ni.
The MOA also adds long-term substitutes (employees who have worked at least six consecutive months in a bargaining unit position) to the contract.
Ni noted that long-term substitutes receive a limited number of benefits — sick time, personal days, and paid holiday – and that the substitute pay rate is not subject to bargaining and can be changed by the School Committee at any time.
Homework Club
In other business at the meeting, the Committee approved a gift from the Hingham High School PTO to fund a peer tutoring program for HHS students, also known as the “Homework Club.”
“We are so grateful for the support of so many individuals and organizations in our community, including our PTOs!” Vice Chair Michelle Ayer said.