Square One staff strike, call for living wage in contract negotiations

Ezra Montanez, 5, plays with insect toys in the classroom of the newly opened Square One opening ceremony on William Street in Springfield.
Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD — About a quarter of educators and staff at Square One, a child care and early education agency in Springfield, have been on strike since the beginning of June.

With daylight still between Square One leadership’s contract offer and the living wage United Auto Workers Local 2322 is asking for, the parties continue to negotiate.

Of the 200 educators and staff at Square One, roughly 50 are represented by the United Auto Workers 2322 union. This includes teachers, kitchen staff and drivers. The union members have been picketing in front of Square One’s William Street location and its King Street site since June 2.

Vice President of Development and Communication Kristine Allard emphasized that Square One will remain open, “staffed by licensed non-union Square One employees and those who choose not to participate in the strike.” Transportation services have been paused during the strike. Square One CEO Dawn DiStefano expressed gratitude to the non-striking employees for serving the families who rely on Square One.

Referring to the unionized staff, DiStefano said, “We have the utmost respect for the work that our teachers, drivers and food service providers do each and every day. They are beloved by our children and families, and cherished by myself, my fellow leaders, board of directors, staff and volunteers.”

The UAW began contract negotiations with Square One in March 2025, before the previous contract expired in July 2025. Since then, the company and the union have continued to negotiate. Allard said the UAW first requested a 60% increase over three years. Square One most recently offered an immediate pay increase of 9% retroactive to July 1, 2025, with 3% increases in each of the following two years. With this offer, immediate salaries would range between $20.60 to $31.18 per hour. Allard said the offer keeps pace with inflation, while Stefano said the offer outpaces public school contracts.

However, union members are asking for a living wage for all workers. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator, a living wage for an individual with no children in Hampden County is $24.06. This translates to a retroactive 11% increase, followed by hikes of 6% on July 1 and 5% the following year.

“The bottom line is that we do not have a never-ending pool of funding to tap into in order to support operations and to boost pay for all staff,” DiStefano said. “We must do the best we can with what we have and commit to improvements without overspending to the point of placing the agency future in jeopardy.” Allard also pointed out that Square One has recently experienced 15% increases in health benefits but has not passed that on to employees.

Aside from straight compensation, Square One provides benefits that include 20 paid holidays and closure days annually, and what Allard described as “a very generous vacation and sick time policy.” The past 11 months of negotiations have also yielded a proposed 401K plan with an employer match of up to 4%. “The contract also offers significant education incentives including tuition reimbursement and cash incentives, along with flexible scheduling to accommodate employees who elect to pursue higher education,” Allard said.

DiStefano also said children’s needs require educators to have an advanced education. To that end, the agency has offered the free opportunity to obtain a college degree, “and thus move into a higher pay scale,” she said. The offer includes a cash incentive and flexible schedules to accommodate classes.

While the pickets continue, DiStefano said, “We are eager to see our children reunite with their beloved teachers. We recognize the stress that this situation has brought to our Square One families and remain hopeful that a peaceful resolution that fairly compensates our staff while protecting the financial stability of the agency will soon be reached.”