Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Brookline students and teachers are back in school Tuesday after a marathon negotiation session overnight ended in a tentative contract deal. The Brookline Educators Union (BEU) said the deal was signed at 4:20 AM.
Negotiations over the weekend collapsed and the BEU went out on strike on Monday, leading to a preemptive school closure from the district.
The Brookline School Committee says the new contract includes retroactive pay increases of 6% between 2020 and 2023, and pay jumps of 8% between next year and 2026, with an additional percent in 2026.
The two sides have come to an agreement on other hot-button sticking points like hiring diversity: the district will put together a "Working Group on Workforce Diversity and Underrepresented Staff," with a goal of diversifying the district workforce.
Teachers will also get either 40 minutes of prep time or one full, unassigned block per day to prepare for classes.
The union will hold a victory rally at 3:30 PM on Tuesday at Brookline Town Hall.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports:
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