School committee reports unanimous MOU with Buildings & Grounds union; highlights staffing and pay changes

The Mansfield School Committee reported that, during an executive session on April 29, it approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Buildings and Grounds bargaining unit covering July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.

According to the committee’s report at the open meeting, the agreement was unanimous and includes a set of changes from the prior contract. Highlights presented by the committee included removing the requirement for bargaining‑unit shirts to display members’ names, shifting the annual provision date for school clothing from August 15 to October 15, and increasing the bargaining‑unit clothing allowance from $350 to $400 per year.

The MOU also establishes a $500 stipend, payable in the first pay period in May, for bargaining‑unit members who respond to 80% of the district’s snow‑removal requests in a school year. Longevity payments were increased (examples read aloud at the meeting included $1,100 for five years, $1,150 for 10 years, $1,200 for 15 years and $1,250 for 20 years) and the contract includes 3% wage increases in each year of the agreement: FY26, FY27 and FY28.

Committee members said they had voted to approve the MOU during executive session and that implementation will proceed through the district’s normal ratification and payroll processes. “We voted to approve it, and it’ll go for, through the formal process now going forward,” the chair said during the open meeting.

Ending: The committee reported the MOU approval publicly after executive session and indicated the agreement will be processed for implementation and signatures.