Lawrence Education Alliance approves teachers' and custodians' contracts; payments retroactive to July 1, 2025
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Summary
The Lawrence Education Alliance voted publicly to approve collective bargaining agreements with the Lawrence Teachers Union and the Custodians Union and announced staff would receive retroactive pay to 07/01/2025; roll-call votes were recorded in favor of both agreements.
The Lawrence Education Alliance voted to approve new collective bargaining agreements with the Lawrence Teachers Union and the Custodians Union and announced payments would be retroactive to July 1, 2025, Chair Maria Moller said at a meeting.
The approval came after the board briefly moved into executive session to discuss collective bargaining and then reconvened for public votes. "The board had a discussion on collective bargaining and discussed the agreement between Lawrence Public Schools and the Lawrence Teachers Union as well as the agreement between the Custodians Union and, Lawrence Public Schools," the chair reported after the executive session. Members then moved and seconded motions to approve each agreement.
A public commenter before the executive session urged stronger support for teachers. "We must pay the best compensation to our teachers so the other cities do not take our teachers," Mr. Maley said during public comment, calling teachers "the true nation builder" and urging backing of the Lawrence Teachers Union.
The board carried both agreements by roll-call vote. For the teachers' agreement, the roll call recorded the following votes in favor: Doctor Dolores Kalas (recorded in the roll call as "Doctor"), Juana Matias, Maria Mueller and Mayor Brian de Pena. The custodians' agreement was approved by the same apparent affirmative roll call.
Chair Maria Moller thanked staff and union negotiators for reaching the agreements and said staff and union members "will be able to receive payment before the holidays, retroactive to 07/01/2025." The board also announced that the previously scheduled item on a career and technical education policy was tabled until the next meeting.
The meeting was then adjourned.
