3 North Shore towns cancel school as teacher strikes continue
MARBLEHEAD - After going back and forth all day Tuesday, union teachers and school leaders say they're still apart on key issues and school is canceled Wednesday for 10,000 students in Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead.
Massachusetts teacher strikes
"Yesterday there was a lot of back and forth. It felt really good," Beverly preschool paraprofessional Judy Martin told WBZ-TV Tuesday. "We're really confident. We just want a fair contract for everybody who works in this school system."
However, in Beverly, the strike got dramatic when striking teachers went to City Hall to confront the mayor, even interrupting Mayor Michael Cahill with chants to fund schools during the council meeting Tuesday night.
"We're asking him to open up bargaining and get this crisis solved now! We want to be back in school," said Beverly Teachers Association Co-President Julia Brotherton.
What do striking teachers want?
The teachers' unions want better pay for paraprofessionals and safer schools.
A judge ordered Marblehead, Gloucester and Beverly teachers to return to the classroom Tuesday. Their unions are now heading to court and could face fines because teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts.
In Gloucester, striking teachers were not moved by the fines they could face for defying court orders to return to the classroom.
"We are respectfully and civilly disobeying the court order, so we knew that would come, and we're going to have to cross those bridges when we get there," said Rachel Salvo Rex co-president of the Gloucester Teachers Association.
What do students want?
Dozens of students rallied with their teachers and coaches in Marblehead on Tuesday. The strike not only keeps kids out of the classrooms, but off the playing fields, threatening weekend playoff games and cheer competitions - something many seniors, especially, don't want to miss.
"It would just be devastating if we couldn't play. All of the hard work we put in through the off-season. That would just be terrible," said Colt Wales Senior Quarterback at Marblehead High student.
For the sake of his grandson and other kids, one Gloucester grandfather would like an urgent resolution.
"The city's money is my money - the citizen's money - and if the majority of the citizens want their teachers to be taken care of, I think they should take care of it," said Rick Cusick, of Gloucester.
Some progress made
The Gloucester School Committee reported it had made progress in coming to an agreement with the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals on expanded sick leave bank withdrawal.
Gloucester school officials insist the money just isn't there to meet teachers' demands, saying the union wants the highest-paid teacher to make $125,000 at the end of four years, but the school committee proposes the highest-paid teacher makes $ 108,000 at the end of three years.
"It's hard to come closer together when one side is staying with their original proposal, or we would be bargaining against ourselves," said Kathy Clancy Gloucester School Committee President. "We have to get that dialogue going."
"If we agree to the union's proposal, Gloucester will have to lay off at least eight teachers, per year, for three years. We can't, in good conscience, agree to that," added Clancy.
Wednesday night, the Marblehead School Committee announced the committee and the Marblehead Education Association made some progress during negotiations, reaching tentative agreements about the teacher work year and tuition reimbursement.
This is a positive development," said Marblehead School Committee Chair Jennifer Schaeffner. "We hope to continue this momentum and get our children and teachers back into the classroom. While we are hopeful, there is still much work to be done to finalize contracts."
Contracts expired August 31
School leaders say the unions are colluding to draw out the negotiations. All three contracts expired on August 31.
In Marblehead, educators held a rally Tuesday afternoon calling for the district to reverse its decision to cancel school sports and events until the strike is over.
"We want to solve this. We want to be in our classrooms today. We don't want to be here," said Marblehead Veterans Middle School Teacher Jae Guttadauro.
Negotiations continue in the morning and a judge will decide what fines the teachers will have to pay if they don't go back to work as ordered.