Non-union staff serve lunch, drive buses while teacher strike continues in 3 Massachusetts communities
MARBLEHEAD - As teacher strikes continue in three North Shore communities in Massachusetts, non-union employees at the schools like bus drivers and cafeteria workers are still hard at work.
Handing out lunches to families
Cafeteria staff at the Village Elementary School in Marblehead are spending some hours in the kitchen, and many hours out at local parks. Since the Marblehead Education Association went on strike eight school days ago, the non-union cafeteria staff have continued to work, providing free lunch to families who show up to buses around the city to pick up a packaged meal.
"The kids are bored," said Peg Dennis, a cook manager who would normally be preparing hot lunch, but was instead handing off turkey wraps to families at Getchell Park. "The kids are definitely bored. The parents, I'm sure, are frustrated, but I think it's a good thing. I think the teachers definitely deserve more money."
Like in Marblehead, non-union staff in Gloucester have been paid to work throughout the strike. "The strike is not the fault of our supervisors or our bus drivers," said School Committee Chair Kathy Clancy. "We did not want them to have families suffer with us."
It's unclear what the remedy will be for all the missed school time, but non-union staff are ready to put in extra hours over February and April vacations if need be.
Missing students and staff
"They've been great," said John Costantino, the Director of Food Services at Marblehead Public Schools. "The uncertainty of when they will be back and their schools has been a little bit challenging for them. They miss their interactions with students and staff members."
When that will be is unclear. Negotiations appear to have stalled, with little movement in Marblehead, and "best and final" offers on the table in Gloucester and Beverly. All three teachers unions are facing court-ordered fines to compel them to get back in the classroom.
"Every teacher out here would rather be in the classroom that out here doing this," said Connor Ryan, a Marblehead High School English teacher. "This is a very, very frustrating and very necessary action. Our paraprofessionals are not paid a living wage. That's unacceptable."
Clancy welled up with tears during a press conference Thursday afternoon. "For days we've heard about children who are suffering greatly, and they are sad," she said through tears. "We have heard about parents who are missing out…on wages because they have to choose between watching their children or working. We are seeing faith erode in our schools in real time."
Teachers have accused the school committee of negotiating in bad faith, of calling off school when both sides are close to a deal and prioritizing press over reaching a deal.
"This mayor and this superintendent in Gloucester are more concerned about their optics and press conferences than they are about negotiating and sealing the deal today," said Rachel Salvo Rex, the Union of Gloucester Educators' co-president.
Clancy said she is hoping for a third party to intervene and end all three strikes.
"I hope someone that is outside of Gloucester can help us end this. And I don't know if that's the state," said Clancy.
