BTU Welcomes You Back to School

2024 - 2025

Building Reps: Please pass around a sign-in sheet to collect everyone’s phone number and personal email

It’s our 1st meeting of the school year!

Professional growth and expertise

Organizing with our students, parents, and community

Workers’ rights and labor solidarity

Equity, inclusion and social justice

Respect for our profession and members

We’re a union that believes in building POWER! That means we use our collective action to advocate for:

Welcome new members!

Make sure you’ve signed a membership application card.

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*CBC = Collective Bargaining Committee

Last year we got back to the bargaining table!

SY 23-24 (last year)

• Sept: All members took contract survey
• Oct-Jan: CBC* met to analyze survey data and draft package
• Feb:
• Membership voted on package of proposals.
• Press conference to launch campaign.
• Started bargaining with BPS.

And we took collective action to build our power at the bargaining table!

March Sign-ons to support our bargaining agenda

Apr-June Throwdown Thursdays

Wearing BTU blue every Thursday

June 5

RALLY AT

BOLLING

May 1 Walk-Ins

School-site rallies at every school

June 5 Rally Video

Download this one-pager and the full bargaining package at btu.org/bargaining

What are we fighting for?

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ALL BTU members should know these talking points!

Inclusion Done Right

Fair Pay

Our Top Priorities

A wage increase for all bargaining unit members, prioritizing our lowest paid members

An end to forcing teachers to get/use two or more licenses

TIME TO TAKE ACTION!

Goal: Flood City Hall with thousands of postcards demanding Inclusion Done Right and Pay Equity!

Take 5 minutes NOW to write your message here. See handout or next slide for sample messages.

Sign with your full name, role, and school.

Building Reps will bring postcards to the BTU office on or before the Membership Meeting on Sept 11, where they will be stamped and mailed.

TIME TO TAKE ACTION!

Inclusion Done Right SAMPLE MESSAGES:

• “Boston is the only school district where a single educator is expected to simultaneously perform the jobs of multiple educators in diverse classrooms. It’s time we stop leaving diverse learners behind, and join the rest of the nation in investing in our students through inclusion done right.”
• “Right now, one teacher in BPS is regularly asked to perform up to three jobs at once. It’s time to end the practice of mandating a single educator meet all ESL and IEP needs while simultaneously delivering general education instruction in the same classroom.”
• “I love my job teaching in a diverse classroom, but short staffing diverse classrooms is shorting our students on the resources they need most. Inclusion done right means investing in our learners and ensuring BPS stops cutting corners in inclusive classrooms.”

Pay Equity SAMPLE MESSAGES:

• “Housing costs in Boston are out of reach for most of our members, especially our paraprofessionals. We all deserve to live in the City where we work.”
• “I’ve been working at BPS for __ years, but I’m worried I may have to soon move outside the city I work in just to make ends meet. Every educator deserves to earn enough money to live in the city where we work.”
• “The living wage for an adult with no children in Boston is $62,483, yet the lowest paid workers at BPS are paid poverty wages less than $30,000 per year. It’s time every BPS educator earns living wages so they can live with dignity.”

Your voice matters!

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• Faculty Senate should meet once a month at every school. All BTU members are welcome!
• Membership Meetings are every 2nd Wednesday at the BTU Hall. All BTU members are welcome!
• October 16: Vote in a special election for BTU Vice President. Voting will be conducted by mail ballot sent around September 12-16, with an option for in-person voting on election day. Please ensure your mailing address is updated with the union office. Regular elections take place in June.

More actions coming– stay informed!

• Read the weekly e-bulletin
• Check your school’s BTU bulletin board
• Visit btu.org/bargaining for regular updates

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik

Nice job!

BUILDING REPS ONLY

Make sure to fill out your report back from

bit.ly/BTUBackToSchool24