Gloucester teacher strike ends; students and teachers head back to school Monday
GLOUCESTER - One of three teacher strikes on the North Shore of Massachusetts is over. The Gloucester School Committee said it has reached a tentative agreement with the union on a new contract, and students and teachers will be back in class on Monday.
Classes in Gloucester have been canceled since the first day of the strike on Nov. 8. Teachers are still on strike in Beverly and Marblehead.
"Let me be clear," Gloucester Schools Superintendent Ben Lummis said. "Teaching in public schools is the hardest work any of us will ever do."
Why were Gloucester teachers on strike?
One of the biggest sticking points in the strike was higher pay for paraprofessionals.
"This agreement accomplishes our primary goals from the start of these negotiations - a significant and necessary adjustment in paraprofessional wages, a meaningful increase to teacher pay, and expanded benefits including new paid parental leave," School Committee chair Kathy Clancy said in a statement.
The city argues the new contract will make Gloucester teachers and teaching assistants some of the highest paid in the region with increases between 40-60%
"That means the highest paid teachers would earn $113,000 in four years, not including stipends, longevity and additional hourly work," Clancy said.
The Union of Gloucester Educators says its members now have "one of the best paid parental leave benefits in the state." But the union's statement continued to hammer the school committee and Mayor Greg Verga.
"The Gloucester School Committee and Mayor Verga are committed to keeping all low wage workers in the city underpaid and exploited," the union said. "This fight exposed that and proves that we have a lot more work to do here in Gloucester."
Striking teachers faced fines
With students missing 10 days of class, the Gloucester School Committee said students may have to make up for lost learning time by coming to school during February or April vacations.
Last week, a judge imposed a $50,000 fine and an additional penalty of $10,000 per day for every day the unions failed to return to work.
"The Union of Gloucester Educators may be broke, but we're not broken," the union said.
Mayor: Future of city budget "uncertain
While the city can afford these pay raises now, Verga said the future of the city's budget is uncertain.
"We feel confident this is something that is affordable and sustainable but let me be very clear – there will be some tough decisions ahead for the city side of the budget," he said. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it."
Teachers rejoiced at a gathering on Friday with a representative saying, "Our union is walking away more united than ever and more ready to take on the fights that comes next."
Marblehead and Beverly still on strike
Things are still up in the air the two remaining towns, as striking teachers are left to hammer out deals.
"From what we're hearing out of Gloucester, that they have been able to reach an agreement that meets the needs of their students, their schools and their educators, and it's time for us to, hopefully, do the same thing," said Jonathan Heller, Co-President of the Marblehead Education Association.
Fatigue and frustration have been growing among students like senior Anabelle Drayer after nine days out of school.
"It's been really frustrating throughout the whole process," said Drayer. "In the beginning it was kind of like, 'oh, no school, whatever,' but now it's feeling really serious and it's getting really stressful for us because as seniors we have college stuff to do."
In Beverly to end the strike, the school committee is trying to sweeten the deal by boosting parental leave and pay for paraprofessionals.
School leaders said their new proposal includes a significant increase to six weeks in both paid parental leave and family sick leave by the end of the contract.
They said they also offered $3,000 more to their longest tenured paraprofessionals.
"I just want the teachers to know that we miss you, your students miss you, we want you back in the classrooms on Monday," said Rachel Abell, Beverly School Committee President.
Marblehead School Committee leaders maintain the union's asks are still unaffordable.
"It'd be good to have the kids back in school, got them running around the neighborhood like crazy right now and they kind of need somewhere to go, so I hope they resolve it just like Gloucester did," said Marblehead parent Mike Fabiano.
School leaders have said students will potentially have to make up missed days of school during February and April vacation.