Medford School Committee ratifies nurses’ contract covering FY26–FY28

The Medford School Committee on Monday unanimously ratified a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Massachusetts Nurses Association covering fiscal years through June 30, 2029.

The contract, moved by Member Rheinfeld and seconded by Member Olapade, passed on a 7–0 roll-call vote. Chairperson Graham announced the ratification after the roll call and thanked bargaining teams on both sides for what she described as hard work and collaboration across a difficult scheduling period.

The agreement includes schedule alignment for nurses to the district's new school day and new professional days, and it creates a "bank of flexible hours" nurses can use for work outside their core hours, the committee said. Chairperson Graham said the bank will help staff carry out tasks such as registering students for athletics, kindergarten registration, and running vaccine clinics without the district having to use ad-hoc pay arrangements.

Mark Carbonneau, identified in the meeting as an associate director with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said the process was sometimes intense but collaborative. "I really felt that we collaborated to work together on this," Carbonneau said. "I think the document that we came up with, this collective bargaining, was something that everyone should be proud of, and we look forward to working with you all on that."

Committee members thanked the MNA and bargaining teams. The Chair noted negotiations began in the spring and continued through the summer to reconcile schedules and operational needs.

Action and next steps: The committee's vote ratifies the contract; the new nurse schedule was stated to begin the next day in the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The motion to approve the MNA contract was moved by Member Rheinfeld, seconded by Member Olapade, and passed 7–0 on roll call.