Group school school and employees unions are urging the Legislature to fund negotiated raises, which after months of delay, they argue, threaten hiring and employees retention ranges.
“We are working hard to ensure that residents across the state can take advantage of tuition-free community college,” stated Claudine Barnes, Massachusetts Group School Council president and Cape Cod Group School professor. “Paying negotiated wage hikes in a timely manner will be crucial to recruiting and retaining the professional staff and faculty we need to meet the growing demand for public higher education.”
Raises are being held up Legislature, MCCC stated in a launch, which didn’t cross the supplemental funds containing language to validate the union’s new contract earlier than the tip of the formal session. The union stated that is the second 12 months in a row legislators delayed funding pay raises meant for neighborhood school school and employees after they have been negotiated.
The MCCC represents neighborhood school school and employees throughout the 15 neighborhood faculties in Massachusetts.
Enrollment within the colleges has trended upward following the passage of packages like MassReconnect, which permits residents 25 or older to attend the universities free of charge, within the final 12 months. Within the fall 2023 semester, enrollment improve 8% or about 5,000 college students.
The union argued the raises are key to maintaining employees up with enrollment. Barnes highlighted the variety of neighborhood school staff already working multiple job and scraping by.
“To make sure the colleges have staff needed to both teach and provide support services to a new influx of students, the state needs to end these unnecessary delays in paying faculty and staff,” Barnes stated.
The MCCC additionally famous the raises have been already accepted by each legislative chambers and are “not controversial.”
The Honest Share Modification, handed in November 2022, has funded the enlargement of neighborhood school for extra residents and will cowl the staffing investments, the union stated.
“With the money from the Fair Share Amendment available for public education, funding these raises should not be held up for any reason,” MCCC Vice President Joe Nardoni stated.
