Cambridge Educators Push For New Contracts At City Hall Rally

Cambridge educators came together to fight for increased wages for paraprofessionals and others.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Oct 5, 2026 4:23 PM EDT

The CEA is an educator union representing nearly 1,500 members across 6 units in the Cambridge Public Schools. (Cambridge Education Association)

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Dozens of educators, parents, and community members gathered at City Hall last week as negotiations over new contracts for approximately 1,500 Cambridge Public Schools employees continue into their tenth month.

Approximately 60 people gathered for a block party outside City Hall on Monday, Sept. 28, before attending the City Council meeting, where more than 25 people spoke in support of additional funding for new contracts, according to the Cambridge Education Association. All six CEA bargaining units, which include teachers, paraprofessionals, clerks, substitutes, administrators, and safety specialists, are currently working under expired contracts.

Councillors Ayah Al-Zubi and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler introduced a policy order that would have asked the City Manager to report back to the Council about the ongoing negotiations. The order ultimately failed, with Al-Zubi and Sobrinho-Wheeler voting in favor, Councillors Marc McGovern and E. Denise Simmons voting present, and Councillors Burhan Azeem, Tim Flaherty, Patty Nolan, and Catherine Zusy voting against it. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui recused herself because she also serves on the School Committee. Several councillors said they were sympathetic to the educators but argued that collective bargaining is the responsibility of the School Committee.

Among the union's top priorities is increasing wages for paraprofessionals, who currently start at approximately $32,000 annually. The CEA had previously proposed increasing the starting salary to $55,000 this school year but revised its proposal shortly before the Council meeting to approximately $45,000 this year and $55,000 next year. The union is also seeking a paraprofessional in every pre-K through fifth grade classroom, more affordable health insurance, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees, including new hires. The CEA estimates that hiring enough paraprofessionals to meet its classroom staffing proposal would cost approximately $2.52 million.

The School Committee has disputed some of the union's characterization of the negotiations. Superintendent David Murphy previously said the district's proposal would increase base compensation for its lowest-paid paraprofessionals by nearly 60 percent over two years. The district has also proposed increasing paid parental leave from eight weeks to 12 weeks, along with expanded tuition reimbursement, increased classroom stipends and other benefits.

The two sides have been negotiating since earlier this year. According to Cambridge Public Schools, the CEA submitted 228 proposed contract amendments during negotiations, with the School Committee agreeing to or making substantive counterproposals on approximately 135 of them as of July. The district estimated at the time that the union's full package of proposals would require a $54 million, or 18 percent, increase to the district's operating budget during the first year and approximately $175 million in additional costs over three years. CPS said the proposals included roughly 100 additional teachers and 100 additional paraprofessionals.

The union has argued that Cambridge has the financial resources to fund its proposals, pointing in part to the city's free cash reserves. Cambridge had approximately $184 million in certified free cash earlier this year, although city officials have described free cash as a one-time funding source and cautioned against relying on it for recurring expenses. CEA President Chris Montero has acknowledged that the funding is one-time money but argued that it could still be used toward the union's wage proposals.

Cambridge's Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget totals approximately $1.03 billion, including $293.5 million for education, which represents the largest portion of the city's operating budget. The school district received approximately $13.3 million in additional funding this year for expenses including staff salaries and benefits. The overall city budget increased 4.1 percent from the previous fiscal year, below Cambridge's five-year average annual budget growth of 6.7 percent.

City Manager Yi-An Huang has said the city developed this year's budget amid economic uncertainty related to higher interest rates, slower commercial development, changes in federal policy, and the expiration of federal COVID relief funding. The city has said those factors contributed to its decision to moderate spending growth while continuing to fund schools and other priorities.

The negotiations have prompted several public demonstrations this year. Dozens of educators rallied outside a School Committee meeting in June before delivering more than 1,000 postcards calling for higher paraprofessional wages. By late July, the two sides had already participated in more than 17 formal bargaining sessions without reaching an agreement.

The next bargaining sessions for several of the CEA units are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7, and Wednesday, Oct. 21.