Fall River educators take contract fight to mayor and city council after 31 days without an agreement

Fall River, MA – Hundreds of educators throughout the district participated in morning standouts and walk-ins as members of the Fall River Educators Association, now working for 31 days without a contract, demanded that the School Committee come to the bargaining table with a better offer.

According to a release issued by Keith Michon, FREA president, frustrated educators from across the district converged on City Hall to deliver a petition signed by an overwhelming majority of FREA members to Mayor Paul Coogan and the City Council. The petition implores Fall River’s local elected officials to make settling a fair contract with educators the city’s top priority.  

Educators are fighting for what they say is fair and competitive compensation, which will enable Fall River to retain and recruit quality educators. Union members are also asking for a “modern parental leave policy that is inclusive of all families, and which will allow educators to care for our children in the same way that we care for our students”. Language that respects the expert judgment of Fall River public school educators is also wanted.

The FREA issued the following statements: 

“We are asking Mayor Coogan to inject a sense of urgency into our negotiations for a fair contract. Fall River educators are among the lowest paid in the region, and every year we lose great teachers and paraeducators to other districts,” said Keith Michon, FREA president.

The petition reads: “The FREA is making reasonable and responsible proposals around wages and working conditions. Fall River educators have been historically underpaid, and this needs to be corrected as we strive to meet the growing academic, social and emotional needs of students.”   

Rob Gorman, Durfee High School Math teacher, shared: “When I talk to teachers that have left Fall River for Taunton, Somerset or Hull, the number one thing they talk about after pay is autonomy – they’re trusted to do their job. They’re thriving with their newfound capacity for creativity. We just want to do our job. We want to see our kids succeed.”

Another educator, Alex Sousa, said, “There are approximately 150 teacher, long-term sub, and paraprofessional openings on the FRPS website. This shortage has everything to do with non competitive wages. Fall River reports a 15 to 1 student to teacher ratio, meaning over 2,200 of the district’s 10,000 students are being impacted by staffing shortages. It is not ok that 20 percent of our students are missing class and sitting in the cafeteria instead of in a classroom with a teacher.” 

The Union and the District are set to meet again on October 23, 2024, to continue negotiations.