Newton School Committee says it's "close to an agreement" to end teachers' strike
NEWTON - The Newton School Committee says they're close to a deal to end the teachers' strike. A judge decided Friday the Newton Teachers Association's fines will be increased to $100,000 a day if a deal is not reached by Sunday.
Both sides resumed negotiations Friday afternoon after they took a break from overnight talks at 6 a.m.
Related: Here's where the numbers stand in contract negotiations
"We are very close to an agreement and hopeful that comes today. We look forward to students returning to school on Monday," School Committee Chair Chris Brezski said in a statement.
The NTA said they were close to a deal when both sides agreed on compensation around 4 a.m. Friday, but other issues are still unresolved. The union said they still don't have an agreement on a return to work plan and having social workers for every school.
"I've been saying the word frustration a lot, I don't think that's an adequate word anymore," said Ethan Peritz, a math teacher at Newton North High School. "It seems like a lot of the non-monetary pieces of the contract came back onto the table, there could be full-time social workers in every building. We thought we had agreements on that and now it seems like we do not."
The school committee said both sides have agreed on cost of living adjustment increases for teachers and paraprofessionals.
"The remaining contractual issues to resolve are related to flexibility the district seeks for its leadership to manage the structure of the school day and best serve students," the committee said in a statement.
Students have now missed 11 days of school due to the strike, one of the longest in state history. To make up some of that missed time, the upcoming February vacation has been canceled.
"I think it's unfair to both the students and the educators coming off this long and difficult strike to then ask them to change their schedules once again so I would ask them to reconsider," NTA President Mike Zilles said Thursday.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey's administration is now stepping in, demanding status updates twice a day. If an agreement isn't reached by 5 p.m. Friday, the state's Employment Relations Board is requesting the court order binding arbitration, which would mean a neutral party would hear the case and make a decision.