Newton teacher strike continues; schools closed Monday
The Newton teachers’ strike will keep classes closed for the seventh day Monday, as bitter disputes between the union and School Committee kept on and negotiations failed over the weekend.
“They don’t want the kids back tomorrow,” said Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles in a fiery press conference at 7:30 p.m. “That was clear. They don’t care about when the kids go back. They care about getting a cheap contract from us.”
The NTA voted to go on strike on Friday, Jan. 19 nearly five months after their contract expired. Though classes were cancelled Monday, both sides stated they would return to the bargaining table after 8 p.m.
“We remain at the Newton Education Center and await the union’s return to the bargaining table, so we can get our students back to school,” the School Committee said in a 6 p.m. statement.
Over the negotiations, the union has called for provisions including adding mental health supports to every school, increasing paid parental leave and big cost of living raises, especially for positions like teachers aides and behavior therapists. School Committee statements have said such demands are not fiscally possible without other major sacrifices.
A judge paused the heavy fines on the union over the weekend, but $50,000 a day fines will kick back in on Monday. Strikes are illegal for public officials under Massachusetts state law, and the union has so far been fined $375,000 over the six-day strike.
Educators have gone on strike in Brookline, Haverhill, Malden, Andover and Woburn since May 2022. None lasted more than five days.
The NTA said in a statement they gave a “new, comprehensive, compromise package” to the School Committee at 1 p.m. Sunday and asked for an answer by 3:30 p.m.
“School Committee Chair Chris Brezski, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Superintendent Anna Nolin had an opportunity to end this strike,” the NTA said in a 4 p.m. statement. “They failed to seize that opportunity. NTA members will be on picket lines Monday and continuing to advocate for what our students and educators need and deserve.”
Within their Sunday proposal, union representatives said, the NTA made compromises including dropping raises by 4% and phasing in proposals over four years. The School Committee has continued to refuse key demands like putting a social worker in every school building, representatives said — though the Committee members said in a statement they agreed to one in every elementary school.
“The NTA proposal was neither affordable nor sustainable,” the School Committee said in a 6 p.m. statement. “The union attached a poison pill to their COLA demand that would have extended a 4% or 5% COLA, depending on the unit, if the next contract was not signed before expiration of this contract. No rational School Committee could ever agree to such a demand.”
The School Committee said the proposal would have cost the district “70 valued educators and support staff.”
The district representatives said they presented a counter proposal at 3:15 p.m., which included an 11.7% cost of living adjustment over the life of the contract, 60 days of paid parental leave for all employees and increases in hours and starting wages for aides.
The School Committee claimed the NTA “walked away” from the bargaining table after the proposal, which the union disputed.
The NTA has “absolutely” sent another proposal and will not be intimidated by ongoing fines, Zilles said, adding “we are not giving up.”