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Members of the Brockton Education Association today voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new three-year contract, which will take effect upon ratification and will be retroactive to September 1, 2002. The ratification vote ends a contentious round of bargaining that began last March and nearly led to a strike vote by BEA members.
Jospeh A. O'Sullivan, president of the BEA, said he was "very pleased" with the overwhelming vote in favor of the contract. "The success of this contract is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the bargaining team and the rank-and-file members," he said. "Members stuck together and showed their support for the team by staging two rallies attended by more than 900 members, holding informational picketing at the schools, attending school committee meetings in droves, and other demonstrations of support."
The new contract provides teachers with some of the following benefits:
Joseph O'Sullivan said that a breakthrough occurred in October when the school committee agreed to drop its proposal allowing the city to make unilateral changes in health insurance coverage in the future. In its place, BEA agreed to increase the percentage members pay for health insurance from 20 to 25 percent, with the proviso that current members will receive salary increases to offset the higher rate.