I endorse Ron Ricci for another three years as a member of our Board of Selectmen. During the last two years, I have had the pleasure of working with Ron in his role as the BOS liaison to the School Committee. In that role, Ron is always available to consult, brainstorm, advise, and then build consensus for us on issues that have townwide impact.
Of particular note is Ron’s role in negotiating the last two Harvard Teachers Association contracts: a one-year contract for 2010 and the three-year contract we just negotiated for 2011-2013. I speak from experience on Ron’s role, as I served on both of those negotiating committees.
The BOS role in the 2010 contract was pivotal because it brought together, for the first time, unified health insurance negotiation for all town employees. Separating the health insurance negotiation allowed us to focus the teacher contract negotiation more on teaching and learning, an important step forward. During the 2011-2013 contract negotiation, Ron was, as always, a pragmatist who understood the “give and take” that is the essence of negotiations. He helped us stay away from entrenched positions and we ended with a contract that we all felt was a step forward.
As with all of our volunteers, Ron devotes countless hours serving our town because he loves making a difference and he cares about what happens. That is a gift to us all. I appreciate it and I wish for him the opportunity to continue to serve the town he loves.
Piali De
Mill Road
