NTA eBulletin: April 12, 2026

Question of the Week (new)

Last week's question: Do you plan on going to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park this year?

This week's question: Have you participated in a negotiations focus group yet?

YES

NO

Know Your Contract: Workers' Compensation Insurance (new)

As you are probably aware, the City of Newton and the Newton Public Schools do not provide workers' compensation insurance for members of Units A - E. However, the NTA has won contract language that protects members in the event of an injury on the job. 

These are your contractual protections:

If you are injured on the job, any days you must be absent due to the injury are covered through sick leave bank days, not personal sick leave days, for a period up to two and one half years. Any out-of-pocket medical expenses you incur are reimbursed by the NPS.

Your contractual benefits actually have advantages over workers' compensation insurance.

• If you miss days due to your injury, workers' compensation insurance pays 60% of your salary; our contractual benefit pays 100%.

• If you miss more than one month due to on-the-job injury, the time you are absent and receiving workers' compensation benefits does not count as creditable service towards your retirement. Time you are out under our contractual benefit do.

There are disadvantages too. The largest?

• Members who work during the school year and then work in ESY are not covered during their employment in the summer.

This is a problem we have been trying to solve in "Labor Relations" meetings all year. To date, we have not reached a resolution. It appears now that the path to a fair resolution will be to negotiate this issue with the school committee when we begin negotiating a new contract. (FYI, members have raised concerns about this issue in a number of bargaining focus groups.)

To access your benefits, follow these steps:

1. File an incident report as soon after the accident as possible.

2. Download this letter and bring it with you when you visit your medical provider. 

• Your provider will assume that if you are injured on the job, your medical bills will be paid through workers' compensation insurance, making you ineligible to use your own health insurance. You submit this letter so that your medical provider will bill your personal health insurance.

3. If your injury causes you to miss work, follow up with an email to HRSupport@newton.k12.ma.us letting them know your were injured on the job, and asking them to use days from the sick leave bank to cover any days you are out of work

4. Save all receipts for any out-of-pocket medical expenses you incur due to your injury. Submit these to HRSupport@newton.k12.ma.us when your treatment has ended.

If you treatment extends beyond three months, at three months you may submit any medical bills you have for a partial reimbursement.

UNUM Disability Insurance Open Enrollment Period (revised)

Open Enrollment dates: March 24, 2026 – May 22, 2026

It is now open enrollment for NTA members to purchase disability insurance through UNUM, a group policy offered by MTA Benefits.

Although we were unable to schedule UNUM reps to come to our buildings this year, there are still two ways to enroll: By scheduling an appointment with an UNUM Benefits counselor or by enrolling directly online. 

The NTA recommends that members enroll in long term disability insurance. We make no recommendations regarding short term disability insurance or any of the other policies UNUM offers. To learn more, click here.

Negotiations Focus Groups

Our next cycle of contract negotiations is rapidly approaching!

Before the NTA’s negotiations team sits down with the school committee’s, we need to understand better the priorities of our members - what are we looking for in a fair compensation package? What do we want to see changed about our working conditions? Where can our leave policies be improved? Once we have the answers to these questions, we can craft a bargaining platform that will be the team’s north star as they navigate negotiations.

And that’s where you come in!

Over the next few weeks each building’s NTA building representatives and contract action team captains will be holding members-only focus groups to gather input.

Please make every effort to attend. While there will be a forthcoming bargaining survey, and our team will always seek member input, these focus groups are pivotal in creating our platform. They’re some of the best opportunities you’ll have to ensure that your voice is heard and incorporated into the foundation of our negotiations.

Retirement Plus

The fight continues to pass H.4361 to give educators who might’ve missed the opportunity in the early 2000's a one-time chance to switch into Retirement Plus. As part of the MTA’s advocacy around this, we would greatly appreciate if you would take the time to fill out this Google form.

NTA Office Relocation

The Newton Teachers Association Office has moved. We are now located at 29 Crafts Street, Suite 470. Our new office is handicapped accessible. We invite you to stop in and see our -- your -- relocated NTA office. 

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In solidarity,

Mike Zilles, President

NewtonTeachers Association