{"id":65347,"date":"2024-11-25T04:09:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T04:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2024\/11\/25\/live-updates-educators-on-the-north-shore-are-on-strike\/"},"modified":"2024-11-25T04:21:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T04:21:55","slug":"live-updates-educators-on-the-north-shore-are-on-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2024\/11\/25\/live-updates-educators-on-the-north-shore-are-on-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Live updates: Educators on the North Shore are on strike"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header class=\"m-article-header m-article-header--standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span id=\"article-header-primary-term\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"a-term a-term--primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/tag\/local-news\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLocal News\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"m-article-header__sub-headline\">Educators in Beverly and Marblehead are still on strike, after Gloucester educators ended their strike when they reached a tentative agreement with the district.<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"a-photo m-article-header__photo\"><figcaption class=\"a-photo__caption\">\n\tOn strike demonstrators at Beverly High School in Beverly. <em> David L Ryan\/Boston Globe Staff<\/em>\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<p>Class is canceled for two North Shore school districts amid an ongoing educators\u2019 strike.<\/p>\n<p>Educators in Beverly and Gloucester began their strike Friday, Nov. 8, and Marblehead teachers and paraprofessionals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2024\/11\/11\/3-north-shore-school-districts-closed-tuesday-as-teacher-strikes-to-continue-after-veterans-day\/\">followed their lead beginning Tuesday, Nov. 12<\/a>. The Gloucester union <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/education\/2024\/11\/22\/gloucester-educators-end-strike-tentative-deal\/\">ended its strike<\/a> on Friday, Nov. 22 after reached a tentative deal with the school district.<\/p>\n<p id=\"state-house-steps\">The North Shore unions, which are all associated with the Massachusetts Teachers Association, have called for for increased wages for teachers and paraprofessionals, improved paid parental leave benefits, and other points like school safety and class sizes.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow along here for regular updates on the strikes<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>While Gloucester schools are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/education\/2024\/11\/22\/gloucester-educators-end-strike-tentative-deal\/\">set to reopen Monday<\/a>, students in Beverly and Marblehead won\u2019t be returning to class despite a court-ordered Sunday deadline to end the two-week teacher strike.<\/p>\n<p>Beverly educators said in a press conference Sunday night that negotiations are at a standstill over paraprofessional wages. In Marblehead, the School Committee ended negotiations before 9 p.m., the educators union said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Both unions were ordered by a Essex Superior Court judge to cease their strike by 6 p.m. Sunday, a deadline which was not met. Now, a court-ordered neutral fact-finder or panel of fact-finders will begin to help the unions and School Committees reach a contract.<\/p>\n<p>Marblehead School Committee member Jenn Schaeffner is preparing for the fact-finder, who is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, to issue a ruling after hearings from Dec. 2 through 4, the Marblehead Current <a href=\"https:\/\/marbleheadcurrent.org\/2024\/11\/24\/no-deal-interim-super-cancels-schools-monday-both-sides-still-at-mhs\/\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>BTA leadership doesn\u2019t want the fact-finder, they said during a press conference Sunday night, because the process will not be completed until Dec. 4.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re so close to a deal,\u201d co-president Julia Brotherton said. The union was dismissed at 10 p.m. Sunday and won\u2019t be back at the bargaining table until 1 p.m. Monday, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Beverly School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said the BTA \u201cis not seriously considering our offers\u201d and it\u2019s \u201cdisappointing\u201d that the union won\u2019t participate in the state-ordered fact-finding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe hope the educators return to work on Tuesday and join us at state-ordered fact-finding as directed by the court,\u201d Abell wrote in a statement. \u201cOur community has been through a lot and, unfortunately, the pain of this illegal strike continues tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the North Shore teachers strike stretches through its second week, unions are running out of cash, and school districts are beginning to consider upcoming vacation time as make-up days.<\/p>\n<p>School was canceled for the ninth day Thursday in Gloucester and Beverly, and the eighth day in Marblehead. The Newton teacher strike earlier this year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/schools\/2024\/02\/04\/newton-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-ratify-contract-ending-2-week-strike\/\">was 11 days<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The unions are racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, which are meant to be coercive fines to get them back into classrooms. However, the unions say they\u2019re running out of cash and are arguing in court that increasing the fines is unjustly punitive, not coercive.<\/p>\n<p>The MEA in Marblehead said in court that the $50,000 fine on the first day of the strike depleted about 80 percent of their cash. The Gloucester union has also exhausted all available funds, according to court records filed Tuesday, after paying approximately $139,000 so far.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The BTA has paid $110,000 in fines from the first day of the strike but doesn\u2019t have any additional funds to pay, according to court documents. As of Tuesday, the union has incurred a total of $350,000 in fines.<\/p>\n<p>BTA Co-President Julia Brotherton said previous unions haven\u2019t been able to pay their fines, but they \u201cfigured out ways to pay the money after the fact,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we understand that this has become something bigger than ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gloucester Teachers Association President Rachel Rex said that a deal is close, but Superintendent Ben Lummis canceled school while the union was presenting their counteroffer Wednesday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Lummis said he contacts parents by 8 p.m. nightly \u201cin hopes of giving the process more time each day.\u201d He said as the strike enters its ninth day, all June make-up days have been used and additional missed days will be made up with February or April vacation days.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n<p>BOSTON (AP) \u2014 Teachers from three striking unions rallied on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Maura Healey to help them reach a resolution.<\/p>\n<p>The teachers arrived from Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead, three communities north of Boston.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret Rudolph, a paraprofessional in the Gloucester schools for the past 18 years, said teachers there have been working with an expired contract for more than 500 days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe union bargained for months, making little progress,\u201d she told fellow teachers outside the Statehouse. \u201cThis strike was our last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Healey said as the daughter of public school teachers and union members, she has an appreciation for educators and staff, but her focus is getting students back into the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is unacceptable that school has been closed for more than a week in Marblehead, Gloucester and Beverly. I\u2019m urging both parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible for the good of our kids, families, educators and staff,\u201d Healey said Tuesday in a written statement.<\/p>\n<p>Last Tuesday, judges imposed a fine of $50,000 on the unions in Beverly and Gloucester that they said would increase by $10,000 for every day the teachers remained on strike. The unions voted Nov. 7 to authorize a strike and schools have remained closed.<\/p>\n<p>Work stoppages by teachers are rare in Massachusetts, partly because state law bans public sector employees from striking.<\/p>\n<p>The Beverly Teachers Association has said it was pushing for smaller class sizes in the 4,500-student district, 12 weeks of paid parental leave and a \u201cliving wage\u201d for paraprofessionals or teachers assistants whose starting salary is $20,000.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth Furlong, a special education teacher in Beverly for the past 10 years, said teachers understood that unions would face consequences, but said justice isn\u2019t served by what she called \u201coutright union-busting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Furlong said by moving slowly on negotiations, school officials let enough time lapse to allow court-ordered fines to kick in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNowhere in the process of bargaining does management face consequences for not bargaining in good faith,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>School officials in Beverly remain optimistic that they can reach a resolution. Students have lost seven days to the job action, Rachael Abell, chair of the Beverly School Committee, said Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are already facing difficult decisions ahead about delaying graduation for seniors or using time off in February, April, or on weekends to reach the state-mandated 180 days of learning for our other students,\u201d Abell said.<\/p>\n<p>In Gloucester, the union in the 2,800-student district has asked for eight weeks of fully paid parental leave: two weeks at 75% and two weeks at 50%. It also wants significant pay increases for paraprofessionals, safer conditions for students and more prep time for elementary school teachers.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans called for teachers to return to the classrooms, criticizing what they called the outsize influence of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state\u2019s largest union.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFamilies are being held hostage by the MTA\u2019s reckless and illegal actions,\u201d said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale. \u201cParents are forced to pay out of pocket for childcare or miss work to stay home with their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Classes remained canceled in Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead Tuesday, as educators planned to rally outside the State House in Boston and negotiations continued with district officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The State House rally is set to include at least 100 representatives from each of the three striking North Shore teachers unions. They are expected to call on Gov. Maura Healey to help correct \u201cthe inadequacy of the mediation process\u201d and advocate for increasing state education funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Gloucester, Superintendent Ben Lummis offered a glimmer of optimism in an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/schoolcommittee.gloucesterschools.com\/negotiations\/cbupdates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">update\u00a0<\/a>Monday evening. He reported \u201csignificant progress\u201d being made with a \u201creal possibility\u201d of a deal actually being agreed upon Monday. While that did not occur, Lummis told families and staff that they should prepare to be in school on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile this is not guaranteed, we have made tangible progress towards an agreement and everyone should be ready to return to school,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But Lummis\u2019s sunny outlook was denounced by members of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gloucestereducators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Union of Gloucester Educators<\/a>, who said that \u201cmanagement\u201d told \u201clies\u201d about the status of negotiations Monday. They accused the district of purposefully stalling negotiations and ignoring the urgency of the situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuperintendent Lummis\u2019 most recent statement is a reckless attempt to misinform the public on the state of negotiations and put the blame on us for management\u2019s outright refusal to bargain with urgency,\u201d union member Rachel Rex said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Beverly, negotiations appeared similarly unproductive and district officials are now floating the possibility of canceling school vacations to make up for lost time in the classroom. Beverly School Committee President Rachael Abell said in a release Monday that the Beverly Teachers Association rejected all of the proposals that were sent to them at the beginning of this week, and that she was disappointed by the lack of progress. Since state law mandates that public school students attend class for 180 days a school year, the district is exploring how to make up that time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, our options are limited and may involve canceling some or all of February or April vacation weeks, delaying graduation or weekend school. We are telling you this in the interest of transparency,\u201d Abell said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At a press conference, a representative from the BTA said that one of the key points of disagreement between the union and the district centered on securing higher wages for paraprofessionals. The two sides are not \u201cfar apart on wages,\u201d but the union is committing to fighting for paraprofessionals.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=1094335306025562&#038;set=pcb.1094335419358884\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The union<\/a>\u00a0waited all of Monday for a response from school officials, and their proposal did nothing to improve \u201cpoverty wages and inhumane parental leave policies\u201d for paraprofessionals, it said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Abell said Tuesday morning that she was hoping to make serious progress before making an announcement about potential school closures\u00a0on Wednesday. She outlined benefits for paraprofessionals\u00a0in the School Committee\u2019s latest proposal, including a pipeline to becoming a full-time teacher and extra paid leave beginning next school year.<\/p>\n<p>And in Marblehead,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100087152673909\/videos\/931193975571572\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">union representatives said<\/a>\u00a0they participated in face-to-face negotiations Monday and reported progress being made on the topic of improving job security for paraprofessionals. But the district needs to make more concessions on parental leave and wage increases, they said. Educators are advocating for a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo?fbid=548454871402931&#038;set=pcb.548454901402928\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00a0tax override<\/a>\u00a0to increase teacher salaries, citing figures that show how the average teacher\u2019s salary in Marblehead lags behind that of teachers in similar communities. No tentative agreements had been reached as of Monday evening. Negotiations resumed Tuesday morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Beverly teachers are calling for a recall election to remove the mayor and two Beverly School Committee members after weekend negotiations failed to open schools for class on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>At a press conference Sunday evening, Beverly Teachers Association Co-President Andrea Sherman said their negotiations ended early because \u201cmanagement has no interest to actually bargain with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sherman said the School Committee is waiting for the result of a court hearing Monday. The union\u2019s strike is illegal as public sector employees in Massachusetts are not allowed to strike, and the educators have already been fined more than $100,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is evident to all of us that the mayor wants pain from educators,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cTomorrow, the School Committee will argue they have no obligation to bargain with us. That has been painfully obvious over the last 11 days. They\u2019re waiting for the courts to punish educators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The BTA is circulating a petition to remove Mayor Mike Cahill, School Committee Chair Rachael Abell, and Member Jeffrey Silva. The petition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/story.php?story_fbid=1091740152951744&#038;id=100063473075324\">was available to sign at local schools<\/a> on Friday. If the union collects enough signatures throughout Beverly and from particular wards for the committee members, the officials would either resign or face a special election, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecode360.com\/44826016#44826016\">city charter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve said that we will do whatever it takes to settle this contract, and I really did mean that,\u201d Sherman said when asked about the petition. \u201cWe are exploring any avenue we can so we can quickly get back to school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cahill said in a statement that \u201ceach of us were elected to our positions to serve our community and do this critically important work. We are solely focused on trying to get this contract settled, and our children back in school and learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The BTA has been on strike since Nov. 8. In a community update, the School Committee said they hope the union is reviewing their latest offer \u201cseriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are disappointed by refusals by the BTA leadership to negotiate or alter their demands on issues like salaries and to change baseline agreements like the length of the contract in a way that moves the goal posts and sets us further back,\u201d Abell wrote.<\/p>\n<p>School is also still canceled in Gloucester and Marblehead after negotiations did not yield a contract over the weekend.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-red-pattern\" id=\"h-tell-us\"\/>\n<p>Sorry. This form is no longer available.<\/p>\n<p>When the Marblehead teachers strike kicked off, district officials said they would suspend all extracurricular and athletic activities until educators went back to work. The decision drew immediate backlash from parents, students, teachers, and coaches. Now, Superintendent John Robidoux is changing course.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The district will use \u201cnon-teacher, non-union personnel\u201d to staff extracurriculars this weekend, he announced in a press release Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter taking time to do my due diligence and meet with the athletic director and our administrative team, I have determined that we can equitably and safely allow for high school athletic and extracurricular activities to take place as scheduled this weekend,\u201d Robidoux said in the release.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The initial decision to cancel the extracurriculars was made because a majority of the programs are supervised by striking union members. It would have been unfair for students, since some would have had access to extracurriculars while others would not due to the availability of the union members. Robidoux also voiced concerns about legal liability for the district over the potential for the unfair treatment of disabled students.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In response, a group of Marblehead students and their parents filed an emergency motion in court to have the ban withdrawn. Groups of union and non-union coaches for various Marblehead teams filed affidavits in support of the request to end the ban.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A series of important extracurricular events are scheduled for the coming days that would not have been possible to make up in the event that the ban remained. This includes a Division 4 quarterfinals football game Friday night in Grafton, a performing arts showcase for seniors, a field trip to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a cross country state championship meet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just a small step in normalizing the student\u2019s experience during these challenging times. As the leader, I will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and make decisions accordingly. I remain cautiously optimistic that the ongoing mediation will result in an agreement and students will be back within the classrooms in short order,\u201d Robidoux said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Marblehead Education Association said it was \u201cthrilled\u201d by the decision to reverse course on the ban in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo?fbid=545190611729357&#038;set=a.101581126090310\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement\u00a0<\/a>posted to Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHolding our students out of sports and other extracurricular activities was first and foremost a CHOICE, and a completely unnecessary one,\u201d the union said. \u201cWe now hope that they will similarly reverse course regarding their refusal to meet with us face to face in bargaining, another completely unnecessary CHOICE.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-union-sues-the-school-committee-in-beverly\">Union sues the School Committee in Beverly<\/h3>\n<p>School was canceled again on Thursday in Beverly, as striking teachers sued the School Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Beverly Teachers Association filed a lawsuit with the Department of Labor Relations, alleging that the School Committee has been bargaining in bad faith. The union, which has been on strike for almost a week, said in a release that they have been committed to \u201cworking around the clock\u201d to find a resolution to the labor dispute.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The School Committee, however, is enacting a strategy of stalling until a judge orders fines against the union to forcibly end the strike, the BTA said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayor Cahill and the School Committee are using the law as a tactic to delay negotiations,\u201d Judy Martin, a preschool paraprofessional at the McKeown School, said in a statement. \u201cThey know the Judge will fine us. They also know we don\u2019t have a lot of resources to pay those fines. My paraprofessional colleagues make only $20,000 per year. So we\u2019re faced with two options: continue to live in poverty or hope the School Committee bargains with us before the judge bankrupts our union. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s be clear. We\u2019re doing this for moral reasons,\u201d Martin wrote. \u201cSo even if we get fined, this strike will continue until we win a contract that keeps our students safe, gives our students longer lunch and recess, has paid parental leave, and a living wage for all educators in the BTA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A judge ordered the BTA to pay a $50,000 fine Wednesday. Fines are set to increase by $10,000 a day for each additional school day that the strike continues. The BTA is remaining \u201cuncompromising\u201d in negotiations, Beverly School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The BTA is seeking relief through a complaint filed with the DLR Wednesday. The union also filed a prohibited practice charge with the DLR because cameras were apparently being monitored in the BTA\u2019s bargaining room inside the McKeown school. BTA representatives raised concerns about the cameras with a state-appointed mediator, and state officials ordered the parties to move negotiations to Hannah Elementary School. This resulted in hours of more delays, the union said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The concerns about the cameras were brought up by BTA members for the first time on Wednesday, Abell said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCameras are used in common spaces in virtually every public school across the nation for safety reasons. The camera in the space where the BTA is meeting does not record audio and has not been monitored since negotiations began,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a strike continues in Marblehead, different factions are using the legal system to fight over district officials\u2019 decision to suspend all extracurricular and athletic activities until the work stoppage ends. The majority of the events that would have taken place this week would have been staffed by striking union members, Superintendent John Robidoux wrote in an affidavit filed in Essex County Superior Court. That suspension went into effect Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Marblehead School Committee initially proposed that the Marblehead Education Association forgo a strike and that the district free up members of the union\u2019s bargaining committee during the day to work towards a resolution with a state mediator. The MEA refused, prompting the decision to cancel extracurriculars.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since the \u201clarge majority\u201d of athletic programs and other extracurriculars are supervised by union members, it would be unfair for them to \u201cpick and choose when they are available to students,\u201d Robidoux wrote, as it would mean some students could access extracurriculars while others could not. There are also legal liability concerns over the potential for disabled students to be shut out of education they are legally entitled to while non-disabled students \u201cparticipate in events that are a privilege and not a right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among the events facing disruption are a Division 4 quarter-finals football game Friday night in Grafton, a performing arts showcase for seniors, a field trip to Boston Symphony Orchestra, a cross country state championship meet, and a robotics competition, according to court documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A group of Marblehead students and their parents filed an emergency motion of injunctive relief in Essex Superior Court Tuesday requesting that the court order district officials to withdraw the extracurricular ban. Marblehead teams would be forced to forfeit these contests, which are not able to be rescheduled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn essence, students, who have diligently been working hard for years to achieve their personal goals, team goals, and club goals will be irreparably harmed, as this is not a bell that can be unrung,\u201d the plaintiffs wrote in a complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Groups of union and non-union coaches for various Marblehead teams filled affidavits in support of the request to end the extracurricular ban.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A judge levied $50,000 fines against both the Beverly and Gloucester teachers unions for refusing to return to work Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n<p>The Beverly Teachers Association and the Union of Gloucester Educators, which includes the Gloucester Teachers Association and the Gloucester Association of Education Paraprofessionals, have been on strike since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/schools\/2024\/11\/08\/beverly-gloucester-teachers-go-on-strike\/#:~:text=The%20lowest%2Dpaid%20paraprofessionals%20in%20Gloucester%20make%20a%20little%20over%20%2422%2C000%20a%20year%2C%20and%20the%20union%20is%20asking%20to%20raise%20the%20low%20end%20of%20the%20wages%20to%20roughly%20%2437%2C000%20by%202027%20to%202028.%C2%A0\">Friday<\/a>. The Marblehead Education Association began their strike Tuesday, and fines for them are expected to begin Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The BTA was found in civil contempt for refusing to return to work, and Judge Janice Howe ordered the union to pay $50,000 to the state\u2019s general fund by the end of Thursday. The coercive fines will increase by $10,000 each day.<\/p>\n<p>The GTA will owe the same, while the GAEP was ordered to pay $15,000 by the end of Thursday. Fines will increase by $5,000 each day for the paraprofessional union.<\/p>\n<p>Educators in Beverly then filed a lawsuit with the Department of Labor Relations alleging that their School Committee has not been bargaining in good faith.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlmost every night since the strike commenced, the state-appointed mediator dismissed us because of the lack of movement from the School Committee,\u201d BTA Co-President Andrea Sherman said in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s clear to us now that they have no intent to work with us and reopen schools. Are they waiting until the court punishes educators?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said the judge imposing fines \u201cconfirms what we have maintained since the strike was called six days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBTA is fully capable of returning to school to educate the students of Beverly while they continue to negotiate with the School Committee, \u201c Abell said. \u201cNow, BTA members face the costly burden of higher union dues each day they remain out on strike.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Public employees, including teachers, do not have the legal right to strike in Massachusetts. But, unionized educators still have authorized strikes in districts including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2024\/02\/03\/newton-teachers-reach-tentative-agreement-after-11-day-strike\/\">Newton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2023\/11\/14\/teachers-strike-ends-in-andover-as-school-committee-union-reach-agreement\/\">Andover<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/schools\/2022\/05\/17\/schools-reopen-in-brookline-as-district-teachers-union-reach-agreement\/\">Brookline<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Educators in three North Shore districts \u2014 Marblehead, Beverly, and Gloucester \u2014 are currently striking amid contract negotiations. But when teachers strike illegally, what happens next?<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, Newton teachers went on strike for a record-breaking 11 days. The NTA ignored injunctions to get them back into the classroom, and a judge fined the Newton Teachers Association <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2024\/02\/03\/newton-teachers-reach-tentative-agreement-after-11-day-strike\/\">more than $600,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On the North Shore, a judge has not ruled on any fines that could be levied at the unions as of Tuesday. The Beverly Teachers Association and the Union of Gloucester Educators, which includes the teachers and paraprofessionals union, were both ordered back to work in a court order on Friday, which both unions have ignored.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>School was still canceled as of Tuesday. The Commonwealth Employment Relations Board filed complaints to hold the BTA and the UGE in contempt for refusing to return to work.<\/p>\n<p>Marblehead\u2019s strike began a few days after their neighboring districts, so the litigation to return them to classrooms is behind Beverly and Gloucester. The state filed a preliminary injunction Tuesday, but a judge had not granted it as of Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p>UGE President Rachel Rex told reporters Tuesday that the judge hasn\u2019t ruled on any fines yet, but the union is prepared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recognize that we would be levied fines as we are civilly and respectfully disobeying the court order,\u201d Rex said. \u201cFines are to deter us from striking and to get us back into school. Fines are not designed to be punitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-school-canceled-wednesday-for-three-north-shore-districts-as-strike-continues-nov-12\">School canceled Wednesday for three North Shore districts as strike continues (Nov. 12)<\/h2>\n<p>More than 10,000 students will remain out of classrooms Wednesday as educator strikes continue in Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead.<\/p>\n<p>The three unions are each working with a state-appointed mediator to settle a contract.<\/p>\n<p>In Gloucester, teachers and paraprofessionals won\u2019t be paid while they are on strike, Gloucester School Committee Chair Kathy Clancy told Boston.com. But the pay is just delayed, Clancy said. Union members will see their wages when they make up the days missed at the end of the school year.<\/p>\n<p>Paraprofessional Janelle Jackson, who works with Gloucester elementary school students, said at a press conference that the School Committee is \u201cunwilling to have any meaningful discussion about pulling paraprofessionals out of poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackson makes $24,420 per year, or $746.20 every two weeks, she said. The union is currently asking to see the wages of the lowest paid paras, who make around $22,000, up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/schools\/2024\/11\/08\/beverly-gloucester-teachers-go-on-strike\/#:~:text=The%20lowest%2Dpaid%20paraprofessionals%20in%20Gloucester%20make%20a%20little%20over%20%2422%2C000%20a%20year%2C%20and%20the%20union%20is%20asking%20to%20raise%20the%20low%20end%20of%20the%20wages%20to%20roughly%20%2437%2C000%20by%202027%20to%202028.%C2%A0\">$37,000 by 2027 to 2028<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday the School Committee tried to scare underpaid paraprofessionals by withholding our pay. This is a choice they made. No striking paraprofessional in the last two decades has been robbed by their employer this way,\u201d Jackson said.<\/p>\n<p>Clancy said while the School Committee is increasing its salary proposal, the union isn\u2019t budging from theirs. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/61558819670921\/videos\/1090899439201638?st=9SlVfXduF2p\">press conference<\/a> Tuesday night, Clancy said the union proposed increasing the highest paid teachers to get $125,000 a year by the end of the four-year contract.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we agree to the union\u2019s proposal, Gloucester will have to lay off at least eight teachers per year for three years,\u201d Clancy said. \u201cWe can\u2019t in good conscience agree to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beverly teachers and their supporters <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/heardinbeverly\/status\/1856501253271867889\">attended a City Council<\/a> meeting Tuesday. Outside Beverly City Hall, two high school teachers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100063473075324\/videos\/579754074736560\">acting as union representatives said<\/a> they began bargaining at 10 a.m. Management got back to them at 4 p.m. with the same proposal from Monday, they said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve shown up to bargaining. We\u2019ve been ready,\u201d said Joanna Seeber, a culinary arts teacher. Seeber said the mediator is \u201ceven becoming frustrated\u201d that their School Committee is working without urgency.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter to the community <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beverlyschools.org\/apps\/pages\/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4391501&#038;type=d&#038;pREC_ID=2583943&#038;tota11y=true\">dated Monday<\/a>, Rachael Abell, the chair of the Beverly School Committee, said the union rejected the committee\u2019s three-year proposal because the \u201cBTA indicated that they now wish to negotiate a four-year contract.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe School Committee is working with the urgency that our community deserves to end this strike. We are doing our part to get fair contracts finalized,\u201d Abell said. \u201cThe BTA needs to do their part now by ending this illegal strike, working with us to reach an agreement and letting our students get back to school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marblehead Education Association President Jonathan Heller said they were \u201cdisappointed\u201d in the decision to cancel school for Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are still here tonight, we are bargaining in good faith,\u201d the union president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DCSqqqJRRk5\/?locale=dehttps%3A555ten.com%2F%3Fgclid%3DCjwKCAiA85efBhBbEiwAD7oLQD0Yv4VqRr-r7JZQO0urJZYdRtRM6QkTusDKWfLnFFK5MAIkhLUd3BoCBiYQAvD_BwE%3Flocale%3Ddehttps%3A%2F%2F555ten.com%2F%3Fgclid%3DCjwKCAiA85efBhBbEiwAD7oLQD0Yv4VqRr-r7JZQO0urJZYdRtRM6QkTusDKWfLnFFK5MAIkhLUd3BoCBiYQAvD_BwE%3Flocale%3Ddehttps%3A%2F555ten.com%2F%3Fgclid%3DCjwKCAiA85efBhBbEiwAD7oLQD0Yv4VqRr-r7JZQO0urJZYdRtRM6QkTusDKWfLnFFK5MAIkhLUd3BoCBiYQAvD_BwE%3Flocale%3Ddehttps%3A%2F%2F555ten.com%2F%3Fgclid%3DCjwKCAiA85efBhBbEiwAD7oLQD0Yv4VqRr-r7JZQO0urJZYdRtRM6QkTusDKWfLnFFK5MAIkhLUd3BoCBiYQAvD_BwEhttps%3A%2F%2F555ten.com%2F&#038;hl=am-et\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Marblehead union is asking for a wage increase of 5% in year one, and 6% each of the next three years. The School Committee is offering a 10.5-12% increase over four years, the Marblehead Current <a href=\"https:\/\/marbleheadcurrent.org\/2024\/11\/12\/no-school-wednesday-update-on-teachers-strike\/\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Marblehead School Committee canceled a subcommittee meeting at the last minute on Tuesday morning to focus on bargaining, leaving students and parents confused and frustrated, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/marbleheadcurrent.org\/2024\/11\/12\/marblehead-teachers-hit-picket-line-school-committee-to-speak-at-11-a-m\/\">Current<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey stood us up like they do to the teachers,\u201d a high school football player told the paper. \u201cWe wanted to ask questions and find out what was happening. The School Committee was very unprofessional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sorry. This form is no longer available.<\/p>\n<div class=\"m-block m-generic-cta\t m-generic-cta--post-content\t m-generic-cta--dark\t m-generic-cta--homepage\t m-generic-cta--email-signup\t\t m-generic-cta-block-style--default \tt-amp__generic-cta\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-generic-cta__wrap\">\n<div class=\"m-generic-cta__content\">\n<h3 class=\"m-generic-cta__title\">Boston.com Today<\/h3>\n<p class=\"m-generic-cta__subtitle\">Sign up to receive the latest headlines in your inbox each morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\tvar consent=\"grant\";\n\t\t\/* The above code is parsing the JSON data from the local storage and storing it in a variable. *\/\n\t\t\t\t\tconst onetrustStorageConsent = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem( 'consent_one_trust_bdc' ) );\n\t\t\tif ( ( onetrustStorageConsent !== null ) ) {\n\t\t\t\t\/* Checking to see if the user has consented to the use of cookies.\n\t\t\t\t* If they have not, it is deleting the cookie.\n\t\t\t\t* This will comment for now, until further notice.\n\t\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\t\/\/if ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 === false ) {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/\tdocument.cookie=\"_fbp=;expires=Thu, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 UTC; path=\/; domain=.boston.com\";\n\t\t\t\t\/\/}\n\t\t\t\t\/* Checking if the user has given consent for the cookie C0002.\n\t\t\t\t* If the user has given consent, the variable consent will be set to 'grant'.\n\t\t\t\t* If the user has not given consent,the variable consent will be set to 'revoke'.\n\t\t\t\t* Documentation https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/docs\/meta-pixel\/implementation\/gdpr\n\t\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\tif ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 !== true ) {\n\t\t\t\t\tconsent=\"revoke\";\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n\t\t'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('consent', consent);\n\t\tfbq('init', '989222871864976');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t<\/script><script type=\"module\">\n\t\tvar consent=\"grant\";\n\t\t\/* The above code is parsing the JSON data from the local storage and storing it in a variable. *\/\n\t\t\tconst onetrustStorageConsent = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem( 'consent_one_trust_bdc' ) );\n\t\t\t\/* Checking to see if the user has consented to the use of cookies.\n\t\t\t* If they have not, it is deleting the cookie.\n\t\t\t* This will comment for now, until further notice.\n\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\/\/if ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 === false ) {\n\t\t\t\/\/\tdocument.cookie=\"_fbp=;expires=Thu, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 UTC; path=\/; domain=.boston.com\";\n\t\t\t\/\/}\n\t\t\t\/* Checking if the user has given consent for the cookie C0002.\n\t\t\t* If the user has given consent, the variable consent will be set to 'grant'.\n\t\t\t* If the user has not given consent,the variable consent will be set to 'revoke'.\n\t\t\t* Documentation https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/docs\/meta-pixel\/implementation\/gdpr\n\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\tif ( ( onetrustStorageConsent !== null ) && (onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 !== true ) ) {\n\t\t\t\tconsent=\"revoke\";\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()\n\t\t{n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}\n\t\t;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\n\t\tn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\n\t\tdocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('consent', consent);\n\t\tfbq('init', '813236348753005');\n\t\tfbq('track', \"PageView\");\n\t<\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2024\/11\/24\/live-updates-educators-in-3-north-shore-districts-are-on-strike\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Local News Educators in Beverly and Marblehead are still on strike, after Gloucester educators ended their strike when they reached a tentative agreement with the district. 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