This article is part of a series looking at key warrant articles leading up to the Town Meeting on May 6.
Marblehead’s second largest municipal union is seeking better wages, benefits and working conditions in their ongoing collective bargaining, but the town’s challenging financial situation is complicating negotiations, according to Terry Tauro, president of IUE/CWA Local 81776. Tauro’s union represents about 100 municipal employees.
“We’re being very creative, more creative than we’ve ever been, because of the intense financial problems that the town is having, and we’re exploring those creative solutions,” she said. Tauro declined to offer details on what those creative solutions look like.
When asked about the negotiations, Finance Director Aleesah Nunley Benjamin said the town does not comment while collective bargaining is ongoing.
As Town Meeting approaches on Monday, May 6, residents will be voting on several warrant articles, including two covering collective bargaining agreements with unions representing a significant portion of the town’s workforce.
“We’re struggling,” said Tauro. “We got off to a very late start, so I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re continuing to meet and everybody on both sides are listening to each other.”
If an agreement is not reached soon, Tauro said the collective bargaining articles may have to wait until after Town Meeting to be resolved. She does not expect it to reach the point of crumbling talks or labor unrest though.
Tauro said her union includes “a diverse group of town employees, from custodians and heavy equipment operators to library staff with advanced degrees.” In total, Tauro estimates that around 80% of Marblehead’s municipal workforce is unionized, including police, firefighters, electric light workers and teachers.
One major issue in the negotiations is attracting and retaining employees. Tauro said Marblehead is losing workers to other towns that offer higher pay, better benefits and lighter workloads.
Another key aspect of bargaining is “housekeeping” — clarifying ambiguous contract language that has led to grievances and arbitration. Tauro said this has become a bigger issue as town leadership turns over.
A new contract with the police union, the MASS C.O.P. AFL-CIO Local 437, will also be on the Town Meeting warrant. Tauro said that union has around 40 members.
Educators’ collective bargaining
Marblehead educators, whose contract expires this summer, are also in bargaining talks. The Marblehead Education Association is set to meet with the School Committee again on May 1.
The MEA requested that negotiating sessions be open to the public, which the School Committee rejected.
Among other things, the MEA is asking for safer working conditions, more mental health support for students and more paid parental leave for educators.
MEA Co-president Jonathan Heller confirmed that the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget, which will be voted on at Town Meeting, includes a placeholder for a 2% pay raise for teachers. He did not disclose what type of increase the teachers are asking for.
Heller said the MEA and Massachusetts Teachers Association will be at Town Meeting to advocate for a “fully funded” schools budget, including paid parental leave.
“We are going to make a full economic proposal in the next few weeks that will detail out what that means,” he wrote in an email.
For more information about Town Meeting, read the Current’s 2024 Town Meeting Guide.
Leigh Blander contributed to this article.
