Newton teachers say ongoing strike is crucial "to attain long term success" in schools
NEWTON - Newton teachers resumed negotiations with the school committee Monday afternoon, as their strike dragged into a fourth day and a second day of cancelled classes. The union said Monday night that schools will be closed again on Tuesday.
More than 11,000 students have not had school since last Thursday when teachers voted to hit the picket lines.
About five hours of talks were scheduled for Monday. The union wants Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller to be part of the negotiations.
"She's not a member of the negotiations team, but as the one who is in charge of budget allocation it would be great for her to be there," Newton teacher Ashley Raven told WBZ-TV.
"What they could do is stand with us and ultimately, you know, it shouldn't be an us versus them thing," said Newton teacher David Bedar.
The teachers have been working without a contract since the start of the school year. They want improved family leave, better pay for assistants and more support staff and social workers.
"While we know this is a disruption and we empathize with the students and the families who are struggling to find child care. We believe this short term disruption is crucial in order to attain long term success," Raven said.
Both sides appear to be far from reaching an agreement. The school committee said they have offered teachers improved parental leave and they've addressed the union's time and learning concerns.
Newton School Committee Chair Chris Brezski said he has no idea how long the strike will last.
The union is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in court-ordered fines because teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts.
