Trotwood teachers union and the board of education finally reached a tentative contract after more than a year of negotiations.
Late Friday afternoon, union representatives of the Trotwood Madison Education Association (TMEA) and the Trotwood Madison School Board met at the bargaining table. They hammered out the final issues on their 2022-2025 labor contact. Both parties signed the tentative agreement. Union President Angela Bruno says while the process was long–it worked. “Our negotiations team–never giving up and for being insistent on achieving the very best contract that we can for our students and for our staff,” explains Bruno.
For almost a year, around 340 union members have worked without a contract. Even after the school board brought in a federal mediator, the two sides went to the bargaining table 38 times without reaching an agreement.
Recently, teachers and staff have staged different events, such as a 'walk in' earlier this month. They say they were showing their support for their students, their families and for each other.
Friday's 39th trip to the bargaining table appears to have garnered an acceptable resolution to differences that once divided the union and the school board. Moving forward, Bruno encourages the school board to visit classes and see teachers and staff in action. “I want the board to come and see the great work we’re doing. I want them to experience our students discovering things for the first time," says Bruno. "We can’t do this without the board and they truly can’t do what they do without us.”
On April 10th, the entire union membership will vote on whether to ratify the agreement. If ratified by the union, the school board members will vote on it.
