Newton parent files court motion to stop teachers strike
NEWTON - Schools in Newton will once again be closed Tuesday, as a teachers' strike rolls into its eighth day.
Tensions over the work stoppage were visible, Monday night. A handful of Newton parents and residents were prevented from entering a news conference update held by the Newton Teachers Association. One man put his body in front of a doorway and complained that NTA members were not letting him in.
"This is ridiculous. The adults need to do their job and get the kids back in school," said resident Fran Yerardi, whose child graduated from Newton schools last year.
In a surprise move, a Newton parent filed a court motion Monday asking a judge to compel the Newton Teachers Association to end the strike, arguing it is taking a toll on her children who are students. The filing says the strike is "interfering with and interrupting their state constitutional right to a public education."
"I just decided enough is enough," said Lital Asher-Dotan who filed the motion. She said the prolonged school closure is causing her children anxiety. One of her daughters, a sophomore in high school, has dyslexia. "As time goes and the routine has completely gone away, the kids become worried about the academics."
For now, there is no end to the strike in sight. On Monday evening, Newton teachers, speaking on behalf of the NTA, said that negotiations had resulted in small breakthroughs, but the city and the union are still at a major impasse.
"While we're inching closer on smaller issues, we're still far apart on many of the things that are most important to our students and our educators," one teacher said.
The union is demanding better pay and more support staff. The union wants salary increases of 3% to 5% over the next four years, 300 more hours of work per month for school aides, increased starting wages, and one social worker per building.
The city says there is not enough money to accommodate these increases without layoffs, sticking with a proposal that would allow cost of living increases of 2.5% to 3.5%. According to information on the city's website, 60 positions would need to be eliminated in order to pay for the NTAs proposal.
A spokesperson for Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said she will not approve a contract that would force layoffs.
"At the end of the day, when you're still $20 million apart over the life of the contract, at some point, we got to address that," said Newton School Committee Chairperson Chris Brezski.
Both sides have come to an agreement on parental leave.
As the strike enters its second weekend, some parents and students are growing frustrated and impatient.
"We're just ready to get back to our schedule," said Kate Gilmartin. "We totally support all the teachers and empathize and want to support them, so that they can support our kids."
It could also be expensive for the Newton Teachers Association, which is getting slapped with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines that go up daily.
"Nobody here wants to be out here I promise you," said METCO Counselor Katani Sumner. "But we also don't want them to break us and we go back to the same situation. This is not acceptable."
Families picked up lunches at various Newton schools. "We're just ready to get back to our schedule," said Kate Gilmartin.
"We're missing reading and math and all those things she should be doing right now," said parent Allison Zacharek.
