Message from the President

High School Schedule MOU

The high schools are moving to a new schedule next year. Although the new schedule does not violate any of our collective bargaining agreements, it will increase workloads for many staff members. Because of this, the NTU approached the administration to seek protections to ensure that those increased demands would not become overly burdensome.

Those discussions resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will be presented to the Board of Education on June 22, 2026. The MOU is not perfect, and we were not able to secure everything we had hoped for. However, we were successful in obtaining many of the protections high school staff identified as priorities.

In particular, the MOU:

• Establishes class size limits for study halls, which are not addressed anywhere in the current contract.

• Limits classroom teachers to three teaching preparations, whereas the contract currently allows up to four.

• Establishes general guidelines for what a high school teacher's schedule should look like under the new model.

While we did not achieve every goal, I believe we were able to secure most of the protections we sought.

I want to especially thank Lex Duval, Ken Heaton, Pat Johnson, Walt Freeman, and Rachel Lively for their help in negotiating this agreement. I also want to thank the many high school NTU members who provided feedback through emails and surveys. Your input was invaluable and helped shape our proposals.

Below is the draft High School Schedule MOU that will be presented to the Board of Education tonight.

Draft High School Schedule MOU

I will let high school staff know on Tuesday morning whether the MOU was approved. At this point, I see no reason why it would not be.

NTU Dues for 2026-2027

The NTU Board of Directors voted not to increase the local portion of member dues for next year. Since we raised local dues last year, we felt it would be unfair to ask members to absorb another increase two years in a row.

That said, AFT-New Hampshire recently approved its first dues increase since 2003. At the same time, AFT-NH raised the salary threshold for full-time dues from $36,000 to $42,000. As a result, many of our hourly employees—primarily members of the secretary unit—will move from paying full dues to paying half dues next year, resulting in a reduction of their union membership dues.

In addition, AFT National is expected to approve a modest dues increase at its convention in July. Based on what I have heard, the proposal is likely to pass. (For the record, I intend to vote against it, although I am only one delegate among approximately 4,000.)

For full-dues members, the AFT-NH and AFT dues increases combined amount to roughly an additional dollar per paycheck, or $27 per year. Members who pay half dues will see half that increase, and those paying quarter dues will see proportionately smaller increases. A complete breakdown is available below.

2026–2027 Dues Schedule

I want to emphasize that the NTU itself is not increasing its portion of member dues this year. Any increase members see will be attributable to the AFT and AFT-New Hampshire portions of their dues, your to the local union.

Last Day of School

A few NTU members were told that they have to work a full day on June 23, 2026. This information is incorrect. Our past practice has been that staff and faculty work a half day on the last day of school. Generally speaking, staff can leave once the students leave and they check out for the year with their building administrator. Dr. Andrade has confirmed this and has instructed the Assistant Superintendents to remind the building principals of this tradition. If you are told otherwise, please let your building representatives know.

Secretary Contract Ratification Process Nearing Completion

On June 18, 2026, the Board of Aldermen's Budget Committee voted to recommend full passage of the clerical contract. The agreement now goes before the full Board of Aldermen for final approval on June 23, 2026.

I plan to attend Tuesday night's aldermanic meeting to urge the Board to approve the contract. Assuming the agreement is ratified, secretaries should be able to receive their raises in July.

If the contract is approved Tuesday evening, I will contact the payroll department to determine when secretaries can expect to see the new rates reflected in their paychecks and will share that information as soon as I receive it.
 
Reminder to Teachers who Receive 26 checks

When we negotiated the current Teachers’ Contract, we agreed to eliminate the option of spreading paychecks over the summer starting in the summer of 2026. As a result, teachers who elected the 26-paycheck option will receive their final five paychecks on June 18, 2026.

One of those checks will be for the regular two-week pay period ending June 18. Teachers who elected the 22-paycheck option are already familiar with this arrangement, as June 18 will be their final paycheck until the start of the next school year (first check of the next school year is on August 27, 2026).

For teachers on the 26-paycheck option, the remaining four checks represent their entire summer pay. If you receive paper checks, you will receive five separate checks on June 18. If you participate in direct deposit, you will see five separate deposits in your bank account. This way, the summer pay will not be issued as a single lump-sum payment. This approach ensures that payroll deductions, taxes, and benefit contributions are processed evenly.

For those who are accustomed to receiving paychecks throughout the summer and are concerned about budgeting, I would suggest depositing the four summer-pay checks into a savings account. Then, every two weeks, transfer the equivalent of one paycheck into your checking account. This allows you to maintain a regular cash-flow schedule similar to what you are used to, while also earning a little interest on the money during the summer months. In the end, you will actually come out slightly ahead financially compared to receiving those payments throughout the summer.

Sick Leave Bank Questions

I have received many more questions about the Sick Leave Bank this year than in previous years. One important thing to understand is that the Sick Leave Bank is intended only for prolonged or continuing illnesses or incapacitating accidents involving the member that result in an absence of at least ten consecutive workdays. In addition, members are not eligible to access the Sick Leave Bank until they have exhausted all of their accumulated sick leave.

If you believe you may need to apply for Sick Leave Bank benefits, please contact Sophie Lahaie in Human Resources. She can assist you with the application process and answer any questions you may have.

For more information about eligibility and procedures, please see the Sick Leave Bank section of the NTU website:

Sick Bank Leave 

Questions? Comments? Need Assistance?  Contact a member of the Executive Board

Trying to email Gary? Make sure to use president@nashuatu.org