The Fitchburg School Committee voted unanimously Jan. 6 to ratify four collective-bargaining agreements between the district and the Fitchburg Education Association covering teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians and clerical staff.

Superintendent Thompson told the committee the four agreements were approved by union membership on Dec. 20 and presented the superintendent’s recommendation that the committee accept the contracts effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027. A motion to take the relevant agenda items out of order was made and seconded, and the committee approved the recommendation without dissent.

Thompson said the district’s business office had been working during the December break to complete retroactive-pay calculations for the four units. “Our business department has been working throughout the break in December,” Thompson said. “This week and next week, they are finishing up all the retro checks for these four units, and those will be going out next pay.”

Committee members thanked the negotiating team and the business office for their work. The superintendent and staff discussed next steps for remaining bargaining units: nurses (pending language edits) and Unit B, which includes assistant principals, directors and student program support administrators.

The committee did not debate the substantive terms of the agreements in public at length; the superintendent said members received a copy of the agreements and the changes in language in the packet provided to committee members.

The motion to approve the agreements carried unanimously. The committee and district leaders said they will continue to work with payroll and the union to finalize implementation details and the timing of retroactive payments.