Dear Supporter of Hampshire Regional Educators,
On October 30th, Hampshire Regional paraprofessionals voted to take collective action in support of our bargaining efforts for a fair contract. Paras decided to decline all substitute teaching coverage from Friday, November 3rd through Thursday, November 9th. Teachers agreed in May to decline all requests for coverage during prep periods, and they have recommitted to this action. We are well aware of the financial sacrifice that educators, especially our paras, are making in deciding to take this action. This is a serious display of courage and solidarity that deserves to be recognized and applauded. The message here is clear: the daily operation of our school relies on educators electing to add extra work and responsibilities to their plates.
Taking this action is brave. Doing so also places a great deal of trust in those who have pledged solidarity. We are relying on you, our supporters, to continue vocally and vigorously supporting our collective actions even as they may at times be uncomfortable. HREA has the full support of its members, the e-board, and our state and national education associations behind us. You, our community, are an invaluable piece of this puzzle – we thank you for your continued solidarity!
If you are a caregiver for a Hampshire student, you may hear your student talking about the “coverage” situation at school. We encourage you to engage with them to discuss why educators are taking this collective action. We also encourage you to stop by, if you can, this Friday (11/3) or next Thursday (11/9) to rally with us from 7:00-7:30am in front of the school.
We are headed to mediation this coming Monday, November 6th, and are cautiously optimistic that your amazing support will help us win a contract that will show that our school values veteran teachers and wants to attract new teachers too! Keep contacting your school committee reps and join us for the next school committee meeting on November 13th.
We also have some great flyers that we would love for you to help us distribute at community events. E-mail hreacontact@gmail.com to ask us how you can support this critical cause.
Please check out our website, plus our Instagram and Facebook pages for continued updates. There you’ll find facts and figures, contact information for elected officials, and many other ways to support us.
With gratitude and in solidarity,
HREA
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