Newton School Committee and Teachers Association Fail to Reach Deal
Overnight negotiations between the Newton School Committee and the Newton Teachers Association concluded at 6 a.m. without reaching an agreement, despite finding common ground on financial matters.
In a statement, the NTA expressed disappointment in School Committee Chair Chris Brezski, accusing him of losing integrity. The union claimed that after Brezski publicly stated that money was the only issue separating the two parties, the NTA adjusted its financial proposal accordingly.
By 4 a.m., both parties had identical financial proposals, according to the teachers union.
However, the NTA alleged that the School Committee attempted to weaken agreements on social workers and make changes to other agreements related to working and learning conditions.
The NTA statement further criticized the School Committee’s proposed return-to-work agreement, claiming that it sought to extract over $1 million from educators. The union accused the committee of showing no interest in resolving the strike or healing rifts, emphasizing that the strike could have been avoided if the School Committee had settled the contract during the 16 months of negotiations prior to the strike vote.
February Vacation Canceled
The Newton School Committee voted to cancel February vacation in order for students to make up for the 10 school days missed due to the ongoing teachers strike.
This decision coincided with the involvement of Gov. Maura Healey’s administration, which is considering intervening to facilitate a contract agreement. Union representatives stated that this is the closest both sides have been in months.
In addition to attending classes during February vacation, the committee still needs to find a solution for six other missed days. However, legally, students can only be kept in class until June 30.
State Intervention
As teachers continued their rally, the Healey administration took legal action to bring an end to the strike. The Department of Labor Relations filed a court document requesting twice-daily status hearings on negotiations, with the Secretary of Education present to address the impact of the school closures on Newton students.
If an agreement is not reached by 5 p.m. Friday, the administration wants the judge to move to binding arbitration, where a state arbiter would decide the contract, potentially ending the strike.
In a statement, Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler expressed concern for the students’ well-being and emphasized the importance of getting them back in the classroom promptly.
It is important to note that teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, and the NTA has incurred fines amounting to nearly $600,000. Both sides will appear in court on Friday as a judge considers whether to increase these financial penalties.
