Politics & Government
Somerville Reaches Agreement With City Union Workers
The two sides announced the ratification of a new three-year contract that includes increased wages.
SOMERVILLE, MA — The city has reached a three-year contract agreement with the Somerville Municipal Employees Union.
The contract is retroactive, as it covers the fiscal years of 2023 through 2025. A 6% total cost-of-living increase was added for FY23 and FY24. According to Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the contract’s main feature is unprecedented wage increases that range between an average of 14% and 17% in FY25. The contract establishes wages the city believes are more competitive with neighboring communities and also eliminates any previous discrepancies that existed. In addition, it improves the employees’ vacation and medical leave benefits.
“We sent an arrow right at the heart of long-standing bias—that's gender bias, class bias, and educational bias that is pervasive in our society,” Ballantyne said about the contract.
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SMEU Union President Ed Halloran described the contract as the best his union has ever negotiated.
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