BOSTON — Educators from three unions currently on strike gathered on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse on Tuesday, urging lawmakers and Governor Maura Healey to assist in resolving their ongoing dispute. The teachers represented come from Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead, all located north of Boston.
Margaret Rudolph, a paraprofessional who has been part of the Gloucester school system for 18 years, emphasized that educators have been operating under an expired contract for over 500 days. “After months of limited progress in negotiations, this strike was our final option,” she expressed to her fellow teachers during the rally outside the Statehouse.
Governor Healey, who has a background as the daughter of public school teachers and union members, acknowledged her support for educators and staff, while highlighting the importance of returning students to the classroom. “It is regrettable that schools in Marblehead, Gloucester, and Beverly have been closed for more than a week. I urge both sides to come to an agreement quickly for the benefit of our students, families, educators, and staff,” Healey stated in a press release.
Just last week, judges imposed fines amounting to $50,000 on the unions from Beverly and Gloucester, with stipulations that the fine would increase by $10,000 for each day the strike continued. The unions had voted on November 7 to authorize the strike, resulting in ongoing school closures.
Strikes by teachers are uncommon in Massachusetts due to state laws that prohibit public sector employees from engaging in strikes. The Beverly Teachers Association is advocating for smaller class sizes in their district, which has approximately 4,500 students, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and a sufficient wage for paraprofessionals and teacher assistants, whose starting salaries are around $20,000.
Ruth Furlong, a special education teacher in Beverly for a decade, voiced that while teachers knew there would be repercussions for the unions, the situation amounts to what she described as “outright union-busting.” She noted that by prolonging negotiations, school officials allowed enough time for the court-imposed penalties to take effect. “Management should also face consequences for not negotiating in good faith,” she added.
Despite the ongoing strike, school officials in Beverly are hopeful about reaching a resolution. Rachael Abell, chair of the Beverly School Committee, mentioned that students have already lost seven school days due to the strike. “We are faced with tough choices ahead, such as possibly delaying graduation for seniors or utilizing break times in February, April, or weekends to comply with the state-required 180 days of school for other students,” Abell said.
Meanwhile, in Gloucester, the teachers’ union for the 2,800-student district is seeking eight weeks of fully paid parental leave, alongside requests for pay raises for paraprofessionals, safer conditions for students, and more preparation time for elementary teachers.
Republican leaders have urged teachers to return to work, criticizing what they see as the excessive influence of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state. “Families are being held hostage by the MTA’s irresponsible and illegal actions,” stated MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale. “Parents are compelled to bear the costs of childcare or forgo work to care for their kids at home.”