By Steve Freker

  The Malden Education Association (MEA) has reached a tentative agreement on a new, three-year contract with the Malden School Committee’s Negotiation Subcommittee after a marathon nine-hour negotiating session Tuesday. Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a large group of teachers’ union members erupted in cheers and applause when it was announced by MEA President Deb Gesualdo and her leadership team that favorable terms had been reached between the two parties. The MEA is one of the largest teachers’ unions in the region and the largest labor union in the city of Malden, representing over 800 teachers, education support professionals, nurses, coaches, counselors and other Malden Public Schools district employees.

The new, three-year contract will cover the 2025-2026, 2026-27 and 2027-2028 school year and would go into effect on September 1, 2025, after a formal ratification vote, which would be taken either on Friday or early next week. In addition to granting a number of working condition requests contractually, the MEA reportedly secured salary increases of 3% in 2025, 3% in 2026 and then unit specific salary increases in 2027, which apparently will be similar, about 3%.  Most MEA union members work 42-week schedules lining up with the schools’ academic calendars.

Before the contract negotiations started between the MEA and the School Committee’s Negotiations Subcommittee — led by Vice Chairperson Jennifer Spadafora and Ward 8 member Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg — and Superintendent Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D., there was a mutual goal expressed of potentially reaching a contract agreement before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. It now appears that goal has been attained. It is believed to be the first time in many years a new contract has been reached this early in the negotiations process.

During the previous negotiations in 2022, there was much acrimony and lack of progress, with the workforce beginning the 2022-2023 school year with no contract, leading to the first-ever teachers’ strike in Malden in October of that year.