Letter Grading Of Food Establishments
Dear Editor,
I was pleased to read in the Winthrop Sun Transcript on January 22, 2026, that the Inspectional Services Department will soon start implementing the Regulation of the Winthrop Board of Health on Letter Grading of Food Establishments and Food Trucks.
This regulation was passed by the Board of Health on June 26, 2024, with an effective date of January 1, 2025, when I was Chair of the Board, Jeanne Holgersen was Vice Chair, and Christine Reilly (current Member of the Board) was the third Member.
As the regulation states, the “Letter Grade” means an Inspectional Services Department issued designation to display a letter grade corresponding to a food establishments’ and/or food trucks’ health inspection.
The Inspectional Services Department inspects all food establishments and food trucks at least once a year to check for compliance with health and sanitation codes.
As the Transcript article states, the letter grade has nothing to do with the food or other issues at the establishment, only health and safety compliance issues.
The idea for this regulation was suggested to the Board of Health by the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, Al Legee, based on the fact that other cities and towns in Massachusetts and across the country have implemented a Letter Grading System.
The Letter Grading System is a public health initiative that assigns grades (A, B, C) based on health inspection scores, promoting food safety and helping consumers make informed choices about food establishments.
Health inspectors evaluate restaurants based on a set of criteria derived from the FDA Food Code, which includes various sanitation practices, food handling procedures and overall cleanliness.
Current Board Member Christine Reilly stated at the most recent meeting of the Board of Health that under the Letter Grading System, food establishments would have several opportunities to fix any food safety issues before getting an unfavorable letter grade.
Bill Schmidt
WPS Contract Negotiations: Compensation, Benefits, and Fiscal Constraints
Dear Editor,
Winthrop is currently engaged in collective bargaining negotiations with its Teachers’, ESP, Secretaries’, and Nurses’ unions. These discussions follow the passage of a town-wide Proposition 2½ override approved by voters in 2025, intended to support the school system and improve longer-term fiscal stability.
To understand the scope of the negotiations, it is useful to review the structure of the current contracts, the unions’ proposals, and the financial context in which the Town is operating.
Current Contract Structure and Work Year
Under the existing agreement, teachers are contracted to work 183 days per year, beginning in late August and concluding in late June. Compensation is governed by a salary schedule that increases annually through two mechanisms:
• Steps, based on years of service in Winthrop Public Schools
• Lanes, based on educational attainment, including graduate credits and advanced degrees
For the 2024–2025 school year, the starting salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree (Step 1, Bachelor’s lane) is $53,182, assuming no prior public school teaching experience.
Teachers are required to earn a master’s degree within five years of employment. Upon completion, they move to the master’s degree lane, resulting in a higher salary trajectory $66,000. Lane movement, like step increases, occurs automatically once eligibility is met.
Salary Proposals
The teachers’ proposal for a new three-year contract includes increases across the salary schedule, including:
• A 14.86% increase to the first step of the schedule over the life of the contract
• A 19.23% increase at the top step over the same period
Under this proposal, the starting salary for a first-year teacher would increase as follows:
• Year 1: $55,816
• Year 2: $58,450
• Year 3: $61,085
This represents an increase in the starting salary from $53,182 to $61,085 over three years.
In addition to step increases, teachers receive higher compensation as they advance through education lanes. For example, a teacher entering their second year with a newly earned master’s degree would move to Step 2 on the master’s lane, resulting in a substantially higher salary than a Step 2 teacher with only a bachelor’s degree. These increases occur automatically and are cumulative.
Cost-of-living adjustments, where applicable, are layered on top of step and lane movement.
The School Committee continues to negotiate in good faith and presented a counterproposal during negotiations. The counterproposal was rejected by the Massachusetts Teachers Union Representative and the Teachers. Discussions remain ongoing.
Proposed Changes to Leave and Working
Conditions
Beyond salary, the teachers’ proposal includes several expanded benefits and contractual changes, including:
Parental and Family Leave
• Up to one year of parental leave
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave
• Use of accrued sick time during FMLA leave, including leave taken to care for a family member
Sick Leave and Leave Banks
• Expanded use of accrued sick leave
• Automatic contribution to the sick leave bank upon reaching maximum accrual
• Donation of unused sick leave to the sick bank upon retirement, following the contractual buyback of up to 180 days
Bereavement and
Religious Leave
• Expansion of bereavement leave to five days, with additional time permitted for travel
• Additional three days of religious leave not deducted from accrued personal time
Additional Compensation and Work Time
• Double hourly compensation for report writing completed outside the contractual workday when insufficient time is available during the school day
• Twelve hours of paid preparation time, in three-hour blocks, during the workday prior to the start of the student year
• Changes to Common Planning Time, making it more teacher-directed and allowing for individual use rather than required group collaboration
When teachers are on leave, the district must employ qualified substitute teachers, increasing operational costs beyond base salary expenses.
Financial Context
In 2025, Winthrop voters approved a $3.5 million Proposition 2½ override to support the schools beginning in Fiscal Year 2026. According to town and school officials, the override was intended to address rising operational costs, stabilize the school budget, and create a sustainability buffer.
Of this amount, $1.5 million was designated for a stabilization fund. This fund is intended to support long-term needs such as curriculum expansion, new program offerings, potential reduction of user fees, facilities and field maintenance, and unanticipated expenses. Use of the stabilization fund requires Town Council approval and is not intended to fund ongoing contractual salary obligations.
The school district currently covers approximately 85% of employee health insurance premiums. Health insurance costs increased by roughly 9% in the most recent year, placing additional pressure on the operating budget. In several neighboring communities, the municipal share of health insurance premiums is lower, resulting in reduced long-term cost exposure for those districts.
Town officials have stated that Winthrop’s fiscal limitations were known prior to the start of negotiations and were communicated to the unions. According to the Town, the proposed salary and benefit increases exceed what can be supported on a recurring basis, even with the approved override.
Regional Comparisons
The teachers have presented salary comparisons with nearby districts, including Revere, Chelsea, Boston, Somerville, and Everett, to demonstrate that Winthrop’s pay scale is lower in certain steps and lanes.
Town officials and some residents have noted that these districts differ significantly from Winthrop in areas such as Chapter 70 aid, municipal budget capacity, grant funding, district size, staffing levels, and operational complexity. In addition, the comparisons reflect snapshots of specific steps and lanes rather than the full structure of each district’s salary schedule, limiting the usefulness of direct comparisons.
Looking Ahead
Negotiations continue as both parties work toward an agreement. The outcome will have implications for educators, students, taxpayers, and the Town’s long-term financial sustainability. Town officials have emphasized the need to balance competitive compensation with fiscal capacity and to avoid impacts on class size, student services, school safety, and facility maintenance. Teachers have identified salary growth and expanded benefits as central priorities.
Carole Mietzsch