SIGN NOW: Support a Cost of Living Adjustment for MMSD Staff News Uncategorized June 22nd, 2022
Sign the petition
After a difficult school year that impacted every student, family member, and employee invested in MMSD, the last thing employees want to do is fight their employer over money. We do this work because we love working with all of our community’s children. But as inflation and the cost of living in Madison and Dane County has gone up significantly in 2021 and 2022, your community’s public employees deserve a wage where we don’t have to wonder whether or not we will be able to put food on their families’ tables, pay our bills, and save for a brighter future.
We deserve a wage where we don’t have to work second and third jobs to make ends meet just so we can survive — especially when we are often using our wages to provide food, supplies, and comforts for scholars because our schools are not adequately funded.
We know and appreciate all of the love that our families, students, and community leaders have communicated to MMSD staff, both in the past and currently. But now is the time where we are asking you to speak up in support of our bargaining team and a cost-of-living (4.7%) base-wage increase for all employees.
Public schools are facing staff shortages due to increasing demands and low pay, leaving scholars without the support they need to achieve academic success.
Together, in an effort to support our students we are asking the 𝗠𝗠𝗦𝗗 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼:
– Provide a $5 increase to all Educational Assistant and Security Assistant salary schedules
– Budget for the 4.7% COLA in the base wage increase
– Include annual salaries with step increases on teacher contracts
– Increase substitute pay rates to keep pace with the teachers salary schedule
Sign the petition to demand that MMSD prioritize staff who work directly with scholars and those who support staff in our schools. The funds needed to close this gap amounts to 1.4% of MMSD’s total budgeted expenditures. MTI representatives have requested an honest attempt at budgeting for this investment in staff. If difficult choices must be made, then the community should weigh-in. In this competitive market, if we do not prioritize our staff, we will lose them to other districts and professions. The list of communities who have agreed to provide their staff with the full cost of living increase includes Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Waunakee, Verona, Monroe, West Allis, De Pere, and many others across the state.
MMSD cannot fall behind in recruiting and retaining high quality staff and expect to address the needs of our scholars. Failing to make this commitment during a staffing crisis like we’re experiencing is harmful to the well-being of everyone who is proud to be part of the MMSD community.
Sign the petition and publicly share your support for a just budget that doesn’t pit the needs of children against the needs of the people dedicated to serving them!