After their last contract with the Windsor Locks Board of Education, members of the UE Local 222 Sublocal 4 negotiating committee continued to meet every six to eight weeks to see how things were going and what they would fight for in the next contract. When it came time to negotiate a new contract in 2023, these seasoned veterans all brought their stories to the table, did their research, and stood firm with management when they would question them on an issue.

The prime goal of the Sublocal 4 negotiation team and membership was to increase their wages. In comparison to surrounding towns, they were paid two to three dollars per hour less. It was making it difficult to hire new people, with the schools relying on the existing paraeducators to cover more students during a the course of a school year.