Dedham School Committee Votes Unanimously To Approve Contract

DEDHAM, MA — The Dedham School Committee voted on Tuesday night to approve the contract agreement reached with the teachers union. The unanimous vote comes less than a week after teachers in town went on a three-day strike and signifies an end to tensions between the Dedham Education Association and district officials.

The contract was ratified on Monday by DEA members and take effect immediately. The 4-year settlement contains a one-year retroactive agreement for the 2018-19 school year, and a 3-year agreement for the years 2019-2022.

The DEA voted to go on strike on Thursday, sparking the first teachers strike in Massachusetts in 12 years. The strike started on Friday and closed schools across the district. Despite an order on behalf of the Department of Labor Relations to stop the strike, it lasted until Sunday. The union had been in contract negotiations with the district for 21 months.

Shortly after the news broke of the Dedham teachers vote to strike, the Massachusetts Teachers Association threw a hat in the ring, offering unwavering support to the DEA. Politicians and even presidential candidate Bernie Sanders offered support for the striking teachers.

Just before the school week started, DEA officials announced they had reached a tentative agreement with the district and resumed classes on Monday.

The new agreement includes a seniority based wage increase of 10-13 percent over four years and new sexual harassment language — two key points in the DEA's demands.

“The Town of Dedham has a long, supportive and generous history of commitment to public education,” said Superintendent Michael Welch in a statement. “With this agreement finally settled, we can now get back to what we all love to do - work with colleagues and families to improve the lives of students and help them reach their maximum potential every single day.”