Dear Colleagues,

as you may have heard on the news, the House and Senate (finally) passed the supplemental budget bill yesterday afternoon and it was signed into law by Governor Healey in the early evening.  This bill includes the funding for the negotiated salary increases for members.

This would not have happened if it were not for the efforts of the state worker unions from around Massachusetts. It started with the rally two weeks ago at the State House in Boston where hundreds of people were in attendance demanding that they pass the budget bill, and was followed by emails, phone calls and letters to legislators letting them know how important it was for them to “Do Their Job” and pass the legislation to fund these well-deserved salary increases. Because of these actions, over 100 legislators were in the House chamber yesterday to ensure quorum was present and the votes could be held. Normally there are fewer than 10 or so legislators present in these informal legislative sessions, so all of these efforts made a huge difference.

Now that the funding has been made available, the Faculty Federation and ESU will push the campus Administration to do everything that they can to get these salary increases implemented in payroll, and the retroactive pay to members before the end of the year.

In solidarity!