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Courses are offered at Summer Conference
Summer Conference is July 26-29 at UMass Amherst
July 26, 2026
Contract Language Lab
1-4 p.m.
This workshop will teach the canons of contract interpretation so negotiating team members are prepared to apply the principles used by arbitrators to interpret existing language when drafting contract proposals and language. Using established interpretation principles and best practices for legal writing, participants will analyze a variety of language provisions, noting strengths and weaknesses, and apply that understanding to contract language examples.
July 27, 2026
Bargaining Foundations
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
This interactive workshop will cover the foundations of collective bargaining in public PreK-12 and Higher Education in Massachusetts. Discussion topics will include an overview of the collective Bargaining process and the Massachusetts law that governs it, the roles and functions of bargaining and contract action teams, best practices for preparing and planning for negotiations, platform development and proposal writing, tactics and techniques at the bargaining table, and strategies for member engagement that build bargaining power and win strong contracts. This session counts as a core requirement of MTA's Bargaining Certificate Program.
Building a Contract Action Team
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Do you know what a Contract Action Team is and does for your union? In this workshop, you’ll learn how a CAT supports your bargaining team, engages members, and builds the collective power needed to win a strong contract. We’ll focus on practical ways to ensure every educator has a voice in the bargaining process while deepening solidarity across your local.
Resources to Support Negotiations for PreK-12
10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
MTA’s Bargaining Campaign and Strategy Team has developed a robust set of resources and tools to support bargaining in PreK-12 locals. These tools include a Municipal Finance database, a salary comparison database, a Contract Language and Benefits database, Cost of Living and Consumer Price Index tools, costing templates, and more. This workshop will provide an overview of what these tools do, and will also give participants an opportunity to practice using them. This workshop counts as one elective in the Bargaining Certificate Program.
Advanced Negotiations Theory and Practice
1:30-4:30 p.m.
All of us are experienced negotiators – we negotiate with our families, friends, when we purchase cars and homes, and more. Many of us bring this valuable personal experience to collective bargaining negotiations. This workshop will enhance your prior knowledge by providing a theoretical framework for understanding negotiations. This session will discuss fundamental negotiation concepts and theories, the psychology of negotiations, the role of emotions, negotiation styles, social contexts, and how we set up negotiations to maximize our bargaining power and influence. It will specifically cover concepts that will inform your local’s overall bargaining strategy, contract campaigns, initial offers, packaging of proposals, table tactics, and deal designs that get you to settlement. This workshop counts as one elective in the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Economics of Bargaining I
1:30-4:30 p.m.
When engaging in collective bargaining negotiations, how do you develop economic proposals that will secure the highest financial settlement for your members? How do you value and prioritize the various items that are a part of your economic package? What kind of broader economic data could you use to support your proposals? And, importantly, how do you use economic information to empower your bargaining team, mobilize your membership, and support public relations efforts? This hands-on workshop will demystify the numbers of bargaining and address these questions and more! Participants should bring their laptops to this workshop. This workshop counts as one elective in the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Navigating Municipal Health Insurance
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Does the municipal insurance negotiations process confuse and/or stress you? This workshop breaks down the laws and regulations that govern preK-12 health insurance. It will also provide practical guidance for monitoring and evaluating your health insurance and how to get the best outcomes from insurance negotiations. This session will count as one elective under the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
July 28, 2026
Bargaining Leave Provisions
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sick Leave! Parental Leave! Family Medical Leave! Small Necessities Leave! Bargaining over paid and unpaid leaves can often feel like putting together a complex jigsaw puzzle. This workshop will help participants have a better understanding of the different kinds of leave benefits, the sources of these benefits (law, regulation, contract), the intersection of these benefits, and how to bargain changes or improvements to these benefits for our members. Participants will have an opportunity to analyze their own leave language and share examples from other contracts. This session counts toward the elective requirements of MTA Bargaining Certificate Program.
Bargaining the Future: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Educator Contracts
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
As AI tools become increasingly embedded in our schools and workplaces, our union must address both how it impacts working conditions and how to ensure technology serves as a tool for educators rather than a replacement for professional judgment. This training will provide local union leadership, bargaining teams and members with resources and strategies to secure enforceable contract language, member job protections and human oversight, all essential to quality education. This session counts toward one elective of the MTA Bargaining Certificate Program.
Communication Strategies that Build Power
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
This workshop will engage participants in best practices for locals to consider when communicating with the public, the media, and other union members. It will cover communications strategies for bargaining and other campaigns, and help union members determine how their locals can best reach the communities and stakeholders they need to influence. We will also work on practical skills such as writing press releases, using social media, and staging media events. This session will count as one elective under the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Democratized Bargaining
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Bargaining units across the state are undergoing major transformations to build power and demand more for educators, students and our communities. Local unions are engaging in democratic strategies to build power in negotiations, including inviting more members into the process through expanded and open bargaining, running escalating contract campaigns, forming bargaining councils and moving past traditional “bread and butter” issues to Bargaining for the Common Good. This interactive, one-day workshop will discuss all of these strategies and more, and will be an opportunity to learn about recent contract victories that used democratic bargaining strategies. This session counts as a core requirement of MTA Bargaining Certificate Program.
Grievance Training
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
This workshop will cover the fundamentals of grievances, including primary types of grievances, grievance processing steps, timelines and legal duties. It will also share best practices for investigating a grievance, developing the theory of your case and drafting and presenting the grievance. Special attention will be paid to how organizing around grievances can support stronger grievance outcomes and builds local union power. This workshop counts as two elective courses in the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Changes in Working Conditions and Impact Bargainin
1:30-4:30 p.m.
What do you do when the employer changes your working conditions? Employers are legally obligated to bargain over the decision to change the terms and conditions of employment. However, there are some exceptions to this general rule, such as when there are changes in federal or state laws or issues fall under management rights clauses. Even under these exceptions, the employer is still obligated to bargain the impacts of these changes on union members’ terms and conditions of employment. This type of negotiation is referred to as impact bargaining. This session will explore the circumstances that give rise to impact bargaining obligations, the different ways a union could respond, strategies to protect our members’ terms and conditions of employment and the union’s rights in these situations. Using different case studies, participants will learn about best practices for impact bargaining and how to empower members throughout the process. This workshop counts as one elective in the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Creative Tactics and Strategic Actions: Going Beyond Petitions & Standouts
1:30-4:30 p.m.
This workshop explores what's possible beyond petitions and standouts in shaping effective and powerful campaigns. Topics will include a comprehensive overview of actions for consideration across different campaign contexts, power mapping and choosing effective tactics. Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution (provided at the workshop) will serve as the guiding text for this interactive workshop. Participants will gain practical skills that can be shaped into actionable campaign plans within their respective local(s)/organizing space(s). This session will count as one elective of the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Economics of Bargaining II: Understanding and Restructuring Salary Schedules
1:30-4:30 p.m.
This class will teach participants about the theory of salary schedules and the practice of evaluating and restructuring them to enhance members’ immediate and career earnings. Economics of Bargaining I is a prerequisite before taking this workshop. Participants should bring their laptops to this workshop. This workshop counts as one elective in the MTA Bargaining Certificate program.
Municipal and School Finance
1:30-4:30 p.m.
This workshop will examine how school funding for regional/vocational school districts works in Massachusetts. It will cover state Chapter 70 aid and the sources and parameters of municipal funding, including the budget process. Participants will analyze the employer’s ability to pay for contract proposals and examine how we leverage this information to justify our bargaining demands, respond to employer arguments and agitate and mobilize our members and other community stakeholders in our fights for fair contracts. This session counts toward the elective requirements of MTA Bargaining Certificate Program.
July 29, 2026
Good Information = Good Strategy: Strategic Research for Negotiations
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Good information leads to good strategy in contract campaigns. This class will provide an overview of the strategic research you can do to support your escalating bargaining efforts. It will discuss how to conduct research that informs the power structure of your employer, as well as how to apply the research when developing your campaign strategy. This workshop will discuss available research tools and resources, how to analyze and apply your findings and will emphasize the role of building rank-and-file research teams during contract campaigns.
Negotiations for a Safe Work Environment
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Education employers often assume that enduring physical abuse is “part of the job” for educators. However, MTA members, just like all other workers, have a right to a safe workplace. This workshop will address how to negotiate provisions that will protect our members. While post-pandemic student dysregulation may increase, nonetheless, educators should not have to endure physical abuse. This workshop will give practical guidance on how to negotiate a safer work environment. This session will count as one elective under the MTA Bargaining Certificate program
Union Rights 101
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
This workshop will discuss our foundational collective rights as a union under M.G.L. Chapter 150E. It will cover the history and policy declarations behind these rights and the importance of safeguarding them in our daily union work. MTA attorneys will discuss examples of how employers attempt to infringe upon these rights through Unfair Labor Practices, such as unilateral changes, repudiation of our collective bargaining agreements and more. We will explore strategies for how members can effectively respond.
Winning Strong Contracts in Challenging Times
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
In the face of ongoing fiscal pressures in our schools and colleges, collective bargaining can feel more challenging and more important than ever. This workshop will explore how local unions can respond strategically and creatively in this moment to win meaningful contract gains for our members. The session will discuss approaches for verifying and navigating tighter budgets, while developing resourceful financial proposals that balance immediate improvements and long-term gains. It will also focus on securing strong, responsive contract language that addresses the issues members face in their workplaces. Through shared examples and discussion, participants will exchange strategies, lessons learned and contract wins from across the state. Attendees will leave with new ideas, practical tools and a renewed sense of confidence and solidarity as they prepare for their next round of bargaining. This counts as one elective in the MTA Bargaining Certificate Program.
