BOSTON — On Tuesday, a second community in Massachusetts successfully negotiated a settlement with its striking teachers union, leaving only one town still working towards reaching a final agreement.
The Marblehead School Committee along with the Marblehead Education Association announced that they have arrived at tentative agreements, allowing teachers to return to their positions and schools to reopen on Wednesday. This coincides with an early release day for students just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Officials stated that both the School Committee and the Association are aware of the challenges and difficulties posed to the students and families during the closure of schools. They expressed their commitment to making the reopening a smooth and uplifting experience for everyone involved in the school community.
Earlier, on Friday, the Union of Gloucester Educators indicated via a Facebook update that they had also reached a tentative agreement with the Gloucester School Committee regarding successor collective bargaining arrangements for both teachers and paraprofessionals.
During Friday, classrooms had remained closed in three communities north of Boston—Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead—marking the end of the second consecutive week of teacher strikes. Currently, teachers in Beverly continue their strike action.
The union strikes were approved on November 7, leading to the potential for schools to conduct classes during vacations and weekends to fulfill the mandated 180 days of classroom instruction as stipulated by state law. This situation may worsen if inclement weather leads to snow days.
It’s important to note that strikes among teachers are illegal in the state of Massachusetts.
The Beverly Teachers Association has made demands for smaller class sizes in the district, which serves 4,500 students, as well as 12 weeks of paid parental leave and a “living wage” for paraprofessionals whose entry-level salary is currently set at $20,000.
In the Gloucester district, which has 2,800 students, the union is seeking at least eight weeks of fully paid parental leave, substantial pay increases for paraprofessionals, improved conditions for students, and additional preparation time for elementary school educators.
On November 12, judges enforced a $50,000 penalty on the unions in Beverly and Gloucester, which would escalate by $10,000 for each day that teachers continued their strike.
Last week, educators gathered at the Massachusetts Statehouse to express their grievances and seek support.
Governor Maura Healey has emphasized her priority in ensuring students return to classrooms promptly.
“I urge both parties to reach an agreement swiftly for the benefit of our children, families, educators, and staff,” Healey stated on Tuesday.