Meeting of the NASE Executive Board

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 4:30

Smith Voc Building C

APPROC+VED 9-2-2025

In Attendance: (11 participants)

Andrea Egitto, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Kim Bowler, Erica Lamanna, Brian Bagdon, Kate Fontaine, Heather Brown, Paula Rigano-Murray, Sara Winsor-Churchill, Cyndie Ouimette, Emily Dumais, 

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:37 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order and New Business

• Shout out to thank you for MOA writers!
• Questions around negotiations

Item II: Secretary’s Report 

MOTION: to accept the Secretary’s Report 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Cyndie

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item III:  Treasurer’s report 

• Have the monthly budget and the proposed budget
• Reviewed the proposed budget for the SY25-26, including income, payroll, expenses admin, expenses organization dev

MOTION: to leave the unit B coordinator line with the money in the payroll, and to increase vice president and unit A coordinator by $1,000 each to be $6,000 each

Entertained by: Cyndie

Moved by: Brian

Seconded by: Kim

Motion Approved: unanimously, 2 abstentions

 

MOTION: to approve the proposed SY25-26 NASE budget

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Paula

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item IV: Job descriptions 

• Prepare this for negotiation language and needs

 

Item V: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn.

Entertained by: Heather

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Erica

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Upcoming meetings:

WEDNESDAY, June 11 @ 4:00 JFK NASE Executive Committee Meeting – Ryan Road provides snacks

THURSDAY, June 12 @ 3:00 – 7:00 – NASE End of the Year Party – Look Park

 

Meeting of the NASE Executive Committee

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 4:00

Community Room, JFK Middle School – NHS brings snack

APPROVED 11-28-2025

In Attendance: (26 participants)

Andrea Egitto, Erica Lamanna, Sara Simmons, Karen Schiaffo, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Holly Taylor, Xristina Warren, Helen Woods-Blake, Carrie Foley, Marcia Murray, Kevin Schmith, Tammy Cook, Laura St. Pierre, Mareatha Wallace, Jennifer Hayden, Tammy LaChance, Kristin Thibedau, Heather Brown, Brian Bagdon, Kim Bowler, Jake Gallant, Jessica Lavalle, Raymond Paquette, Sue Sullivan, Emily Dumais, Kristin Campbell

 

Excused: 

Harry Wallace, Danielle Kowal, Sandy Bombard, Kate Fontaine, Paula Rigano-Murray, Sara Churchill-Winsor

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:02 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order 

 

Item II: Secretary’s Report

MOTION: to accept the Secretary’s Report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Jennifer

Seconded by: Mareatha

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item III: Treasurer’s Report

• Please see hard copies
• June will be included in the next months EC meeting Treasurer’s Report

MOTION: to accept the Treasurer’s Report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sara

Seconded by: Mareatha

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item IV: NASE Endorsements and next steps with Kristin Campbell MTA organizer

• Went through surveys, got results, and sent out NASE endorsements
• Next step is to have canvasing, handing out flyers, holding signs, a mailer, a phone chain, etc.
• NASE has 3 weeks to do action and make a difference 
• Most effective action is canvassing → need to establish canvas date, go through script, receive materials from MTA, given a ‘turf’ to go through, then go door to door
• People need to know NASE is fighting for our schools right now
• 4:00 Stand out then Canvas at 4:30 → potentially Wednesday/Thursday

Item V: Contract update 

• Units B, E & F will have retro pay in the last paycheck/payroll as they are active and ratified
• Units A, C & G are awaiting ratification
• Please tell Units A, C and G to ratify → need 80% of the membership of the unit
  • Unit G is ratified! We have 80% or more ratification votes!
  • Unit C only has 39 members who voted…
  • Unit A only has 149 members who voted…
• We can no longer negotiate for contracts
• Paras will be denied FMLA from HR, NASE can then apply through the discretion of the superintendent

 

Item VI: New Business

• Helen Woods-Blake has volunteered to “sub” for secretary when Vanessa on leave

MOTION: pay Helen for the 2-3 months that she is “subbing” when Vanessa is on leave

Entertained by: Jennifer

Moved by: Mareatha

Seconded by: Karen

Motion Approved: unanimously

• Problems when paras are being pulled when others are absent. What is happening when those are not being covered? What is the tracking of this?
• Is there support around long term subs and moving after their coverage leave time?
• Therapy assistants can go in different units? Does the lane of Unit C make sense?
• THINK FOR NEXT NEGOTIATION: System for longevity in the unit you are in. So if 7 years Unit C then 4 years Unit A, would start over when moving over to unit for 10 years.

 

Item VII: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Jennifer

Seconded by: Mareatha

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Upcoming meetings:

November 4 – NASE Executive Board – Ryan Road Rm 200 @ 4:00

November 18 – NASE Executive Committee – JFK Community Room @ 4:00 – Leeds snacks

December 2 – NASE Executive Board – Ryan Road Rm 200 @ 4:00

December 16 – NASE Executive Committee – JFK Community Room @ 4:00 – RR snacks

Meeting of the NASE Executive Committee

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 4:00

Community Room, JFK Middle School 

APPROVED 9-9-2025

In Attendance: (19 participants)

Andrea Egitto, Sara Simmons, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Danielle Kowal, Harry Wallace, Sandy Bombard, Helen Woods-Blake, Carrie Foley, Tammy Cook, Laura St. Pierre, Kristin Thibedau, Heather Brown, Kate Fontaine, Brian Bagdon, Jamie Lawrence, Jake Gallant, Jessica Lavalle, Raymond Paquette, Emily Dumais

 

Excused: 

Xristina Warren, 

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:05 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order 

 

Item II: Secretary’s Report

MOTION: to accept the Secretary’s Report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sara

Seconded by: Sandy

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item III: Treasurer’s Report/budget – see hard copies 

• Every June the EC votes to approve budget for the next year (25-26)
• Reviewed Proposed SY25-26 Budget

MOTION: to accept the Treasurer’s Report 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Danielle

Seconded by: Sandy

Motion Approved: unanimously

MOTION: to accept the proposed SY25-26 budget 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Danielle

Seconded by: Tammy

Motion Approved: unanimously, 1 abstention

 

Item IV: Bargaining update, ratification information

• We have one more meeting scheduled June 18th @ 4:45 (Zoom meeting) working on cleaning up language and ironing out small last minute things
• Elementary report cards were brought up to go back to 3 times a year
• Ratification date is being held June 25th for a special meeting by School Committee
• Ratification vote could be done in a Google Form through email → expect a personal email about this form!!
• SC misunderstood the longevity negotiations, clarified and finalized in the meeting that SC is keeping the sick leave buyback (80-99 days get paid $30/day & 99+ get $55/day with $5,500 cap) and keep the negotiated longevity

 

Item V: New Business

• End of year celebration TOMORROW 

• Retirement Plus letter 

MOTION: to sign the Retirement Plus letter

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Danielle

Motion Approved: unanimously

• Leeds interim principal process concerns and Superintendent response

Item VI: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sara

Seconded by: Emily

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Upcoming meetings:

June 18, 4:45 Bargaining on Zoom NOT in person so negotiators only

Have a great summer and keep an eye out for ratification email!

Meeting of the NASE Executive Committee

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 4:00

Community Room, JFK Middle School – Bridge St. will provide snacks

APPROVED 5/13/2025

In Attendance: (30 participants)

Ellen Brown, Daria Steward, Joshua Katz, Andrea Egitto, Erica Lamanna, Karen Schiaffo, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Danielle Kowal, Harry Wallace, Xristina Warren, Sandy Bombard, Laila Copperansky, Carrie Foley, Tamy Cook, Erica Caron, Jennifer Hayden, Tammy LaChance, Kristin Thibedau, Heather Brown, Kate Fontaine, Paula Rigano-Murray, Brian Bagdon, Kim Bowler, Jamie Lawrence, Jake Gallant, Ryan Parent, Jessica Lavalle, Raymond Paquette, Nick Richert, Emily Dumais

 

Excused:

Holly Taylor, 

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 3:59 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order 

 

Item II: Secretary’s Report

MOTION: to accept the Secretary’s Report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Jennifer

Seconded by: Jessica

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item III: Treasurer’s Report 

• Trying to avoid reimbursement for subscriptions, but can’t get a credit card from Florence Bank based on our account. If we need to open a second checking account in order to use a debit card to pay for subscriptions, events, ect. with some money transferred from the original account. Our main account will not have a card attached to it at all!

MOTION: to open a second checking account for NASE with the purpose to have a debit card

Entertained by: Emily

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Paula

Motion Approved: unanimously 

MOTION: to accept the Treasurer’s Report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Paula

Seconded by: Kate

Motion Approved: unanimously 

 

Item IV: NASE Annual Meeting  

• April 30th @ 3:30 with a meeting start time of 4:00 at Smith Voc (Wednesday after April Vacation)  
• Plan Agenda 
• Officer elections (Secretary, PR&R chair, Treasurer, VP)
  • Need a nomination chair in order to keep track of nominations → Ellen Brown

MOTION: to change the bylaws to change Secretary, PR&R chair, Treasurer, and VP to be a 2 year term to start at 2025 Annual elections to alternate with coordinators

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Karen

Seconded by: Kim

Motion Approved: unanimously, 1 abstention 

• Discuss a possible dues increase for scholarships
• Tried Venmo donations, cash buckets, calendar fundraisers
• NASE has not increased dues in about 10 years. Could increase differently per unit.
• Would now also be the time to increase dues for the VP and Unit A coordinator as this body has discussed before
• Currently have 280 Unit A members, 8 Unit B members, 102 Unit C members, 72 Unit D members, 17 Unit E members, 29 Unit F members, 10 Unit G members, 6 members Unit H members 
• Current stipends are: 
  • President $10,000 
  • VP $5,000 
  • Treasurer $3,000 
  • Secretary $2,000 
  • PR&R Chair $3,000 
  • Membership Coordinator $2,500
  • Communication Chair $2,500
  • Unit A $4,000 
  • Unit B $1,000 
  • Unit C $4,000
  • Unit D $2,000
  • Unit E $1,500
  • Unit F $1,500
  • Unit G $1,000
  • Unit H $1,000

MOTION: After 10 years without a local NASE dues increase, I propose a motion to increase our local NASE dues by roughly 10% rounded to the nearest dollar (resulting to be about $14 increase for Units A, B, D, H and about a $6 increase for Units C and G and about $8 increase for Unit E and F) in order fund member services and general NASE operations due to inflation, increased cost of living and increase of operations Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Karen

Seconded by: Kim

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item V: Bargaining Update

• Expanded bargaining – including NASE members in the audience who are silent but will help during our caucus time.  
• Money negotiation is in the works with SC, they are discussing this Thursday and waiting for their next counters at the next negotiation meeting
• The Superintednent is sharing two calendars for SC approval (1 with early release days scattered, 1 with all early release days on Wednesdays)
  • Hoping this will be a way to ease into the early release Wednesdays in a gradually increased plan over the 3 year contract
  • This will be presented and voted on by the SC Thursday 3/13
• Upcoming dates: 
  • March  20 – JFK Community room
  • April 3 & 17 – JFK Community room

 

Item VI: New Business

• MTA Annual Conference, we get 12 delegates @ May 2nd & 3rd in Springfield in MassMutual
  • Anyone who is interested please reach out to Ellen Brown
  • If we get more than 12 interested in going, we will have a virtual voting

Item VI: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Kate

Seconded by: Sandy

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Upcoming meetings:

March 20, 5:30 JFK – Negotiations

April 30, 3:30 Smith Voc – NASE Annual Meeting

May 6 4:00 RR – NASE Executive Board

May 13, 4:00 JFK NASE Executive Committee Meeting – JFK provides snacks

June 3, 4:00 RR – NASE Executive Board

June 10, 4:00 JFK NASE Executive Committee Meeting – Ryan Road provides snacks

Meeting of the NASE Executive Committee

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 4:00

Community Room, JFK Middle School – Leeds will provide snacks

APPROVED 3/11/2025

In Attendance: (31 participants)

Ellen Brown, Joshua Katz, Andrea Egitto, Sara Simmons, Erica Lamanna, Karen Schiaffo, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Holly Taylor, Danielle Kowal, Harry Wallace, Xristina Warren, Sandy Bombard, Helen Woods-Blake, Laila Copperansky, Carrie Foley, Kevin Schmith, Laura St. Pierre, Erica Caron, Jennifer Hayden, Kristin Thibedau, Heather Brown, Kate Fontaine, Paula Rigano-Murray, Brian Bagdon, Kim Bowler, Jaime Lawrence, Jake Gallant, Ryan Parent, Jessica Lavalle, Raymond Paquette, Emily Dumais

 

Excused:

Mareatha Wallace 

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:01 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order 

 

Item II: Secretary’s Report

MOTION: to accept the Secretary’s Report 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sara

Seconded by: Jennifer

Motion Approved: unanimously, 1 abstention

 

Item III: Treasurer’s Report – see hard copies 

• Please fill out the W4s and give back to Emily ASAP
• W-4 were sent out in the mail from Emily in the last week

MOTION: to accept the Treasurer’s Report 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Paula

Seconded by: Kate

Motion Approved: unanimously 

 

Item IV: MTA Red Cards

• We have different languages
• To be given to caregivers that could potentially intercepted or approached by an ICE agent
• Please take some before you leave to give out to caregivers from your buildings
• Andrea and Martin met with Portia around the communication around the ICE deportation protocols, 
  • to have clear message for building protocols
  • bus stop protocols
  • sharing a supportive message to the community

 

Item V: Bargaining discussion

• Last session February 4th was cancelled since the SC chair was sick
• Will be meeting February 27th
  • SC will be meeting Thursday February 13th so hopefully will be able to meet with numbers/money information at the next meeting
  • If you are an hourly employee, please email Martin the hours in a day and days in a year
  • Portia projected at the finance committee that payroll for her next budget includes the calculated 3% COLA since that was used in the past (what she communicated at the meeting)
• Expanded bargaining including NASE members in the audience who are silent but will help during our caucus time.
• FOR THE FUTURE: for every 3rd year need to include a line item for negotiations
  • EC would have to vote to pass to amend the budget in order to include this in the current budget  
  • Could include money for foods for late night meetings, stipends for those supporting
• UPCOMING DATES:
  • February 27 – JFK Community room
  • March 6, 20 – JFK Community room
  • April 3, 17 – JFK Community room  

MOTION: Include a line item for negotiations stipends for non-officer/members of the negotiation team ($350), ect.for this negotiation cycle which includes NPS & SVAHS

• 11 people, coming to $3,850 

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: to exclude Unit B from the amendment of stipends → not accepted

Moved by: Paula

Seconded by: Erica

Motion Approved: passes by majority, yes – 21, no – 2, abstention – 6

 

MOTION: Include a line item for negotiations food for this negotiation cycle for up to $100 per meeting for NPS (up to 5 meetings, then revisit at the April)

Moved by: Erica

Seconded by: Paula

Motion Approved: passes , yes – 21, no – 2, abstention – 6

 

Item VI: New Business

• Andrea will follow up with Matt around the list of staff members and their roles on the committee for the special education programs in the elementary levels 
• What is the MTA doing about the Trump administration with the secretary of education?
  • There are meetings in process with 
• What is the process for the BSS principal?
  • People need to be accepted to be on the hiring committee, send a letter of interest to the Superintendent, if she accepts then you have to commit to the dates
• Timeline of the process for the JFK principal hiring will be starting this week
• BSS only currently has 1 paras when they had 2 openings with 1 other new hire as a retirement replacement 
  • Erica will follow up around the hiring process with the 2nd para hiring process
• Karen sent out the new prorated new member forms, please use this form
• Did Kristin ever have a conversation around JFK breakfast needs?
• There was some feedback from the paraeducator meetings around delegates pressured into not going to the meeting
  • Please feel free to communicate and apologize on behalf if some feel uncomfortable or pushed towards a specific direction
• The NASE website now has a negotiations tab with the initial proposal and SC response
• MTA Annual meeting will be in Springfield at the MassMutual Center again in May 2-3, we typically send 12 members based on our membership numbers
• When you met with Portia did the grounds position get communicated?
  • She mentioned that this is a Tony issue, it should be similar as a long term sub position, superintendent mentioned that she was in favor of getting this covered
• Has there been any communication around MCAS requirements being brought up again?
  • This was discussed at a NHS department meeting, this team communicated and determined what will be the graduation competencies and MCAS is not on the list

 

Item VI:  Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sara

Seconded by: Erica

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Upcoming meetings:

 

February 11, 4:00 JFK – NASE Executive Committee Meeting

February 27, 5:30 JFK – Negotiations

March 4, 4:00 JFK – NASE Executive Board

March 6, 5:30 JFK – Negotiations

March 11, NASE Executive Committee Meeting