MANCHESTER, NH – On a 7-6 vote, the Manchester Board of Aldermen have voiced their support for the proposed Manchester Education Association contract.
For 661 days prior to Tuesday’s vote, Manchester’s public school teachers have worked without a contract, with that tally growing by several weeks as the board and city officials attempted to incorporate public comment with the need to hold meetings remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio, a former Board of School Committee member, opposed the contract on the grounds that it didn’t go far enough to address low starting salaries for teachers, while the other opposition came on the grounds that it would be inappropriate to give city employees a raise while many taxpayers are losing their jobs due to COVID-19.
Earlier in the meeting, At-Large Alderman Joseph Kelly Levasseur told Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig that she needed to go beyond just a hiring freeze by also instituting a promotion freeze and possible other cost-cutting measures, fearing use of the city’s reserve fund, or “rainy day fund.”
He echoed that sentiment of caution during the discussion on the contract.
“The rain storm hasn’t occurred yet, the rain storm will occur in September or January when we see what the effects of (COVID-19) might be,” he said. “It could be raining gold right now and I wouldn’t want to spend a dime.”
Supporters of the contract praised Manchester’s teachers for their efforts, especially during the transition to remote learning brought on by the pandemic, and also praised compromises they made such as efforts to reduce absenteeism by five percent.
“After three years, to suggest that this is the wrong time? I don’t know how long we can wait,” said Ward 5 Alderman Anthony Sapienza.
Ward 4 Alderman Jim Roy, Ward 6 Alderman Elizabeth Moreau, Ward 8 Alderman Michael Porter and Ward 12 Alderman Keith Hirschmann voted against the contract as well.
In addition to Sapienza, supporters included Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh, Ward 2 Alderman Will Stewart, Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long, Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry, Ward 11 Alderman Normand Gamache and At-Large Alderman Dan O’Neil.
Ward 9 Alderman Barbara Shaw abstained citing a conflict of interest, as her daughter is a teacher in the schools, with Barry stating that Shaw could have voted if she wanted to after discovering that conflict of interest rules applied to only specific nominations and not collective bargaining agreements.
Levasseur protested that the vote needed eight votes, or a majority of the full board, to pass. However, City Solicitor Emily Rice said that the vote only needed a majority of those voting, a decision he referred to as “bullcrap.”
Later in the meeting, the Aldermen also voted to support a new contract for school district coordinators and directors, which will now also include high school athletic directors by a vote of 10-4. Roy, Porter, Hirschmann and Levasseur voted in opposition.
Following the vote Mayor Craig issued a statement showing her pleasure with the votes.
“These contracts that came before us tonight are fair and sustainable. While this mutually agreed upon contract is being brought forward during a difficult time in our city’s history, this pandemic has also further illustrated how invaluable our teachers are,” she said. “With almost no notice, they redeveloped their entire teaching structure and pivot to remote learning. I’d like to thank all of our educators for their dedication to teach and care for our students — our community is better because of them, and I’m confident that amid a challenging time, these contracts will move our district in a positive direction.”
Manchester School District Superintendent John Goldhardt also released a statement in support of the votes.
“I’d like to thank the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for voting in support of successor contracts for our valued MSD staff. Our staff has responded to the COVID-19 crisis as I expected they would: with creativity, thoughtfulness, and resilience,” he said. “Despite all of the challenges, they’ve worked to ensure our students and families would continue to receive the support they depend on. I’m proud to be a part of such a dedicated education community, and these agreements are recognition of the work our staff have done and will continue to do for years to come.”
Both contracts will face one final vote at the Aldermen’s next meeting, slated for early May.