At a general membership meeting on Monday evening, hundreds of Melrose Education
Association (MEA) members voted with a resounding 98% to move into a “Work to Rule” action.
The MEA is the largest union in the City of Melrose and represents teachers, paraprofessionals,
and school secretaries in the Melrose Public Schools.
MEA President Lisa Donovan put the issues plainly, “Our members are sick and tired of being
expected to accept the mistakes of school and city management. The MEA helped the City of
Melrose win a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override 3 years ago and secure $5.18 million for the Melrose
Public Schools. Through the mismanagement of this administration, the schools have lost $2.2
million of those monies. Now, educators once again are asked to bear the burden of Melrose’s
historic underfunding of our schools. Our members are already behind surrounding districts in
salary, and we cannot keep settling for less.”
To kick off the “Work to Rule” action, the MEA will rally in front of Melrose City Hall on Monday,
November 14th at 7pm. Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page as well as
supporters in the state legislature are expected to join the Melrose educators on the steps of
Melrose City Hall.
Donovan added, “We are fighting for fair contracts that include fair compensation for teachers, a
living wage for paraprofessionals, and adequate planning time to meet students’ needs.”
