SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – Rallying together for each other, higher wages, and better working conditions.
That’s just what educators in the South Hadley Public School system did Thursday afternoon. Teachers rallied at the high school to raise awareness that unionized staff have been working without a labor contract. Contract disputes have lasted for over a year, leaving the staff concerned about their futures.
Myra Lam, a South Hadley teacher said, “At the end of the day we have no choice but to advocate for ourselves, as they say, we have to use our teacher voices. The time has come, and that’s because our students learning conditions are our working conditions. We hope we can come to a fast settlement that we need and that our students need.”
The last contract expired in the summer of 2021, leaving this as the second school year teachers and paraeducators are working without a contract.