The Massachusetts Education Association apparently pushed three neighboring teachers unions to go on strike at the same time, sources close to the unions say.
Because of the strikes, schools in three districts in Massachusetts have been closed for over two weeks, leaving working parents in the lurch without child care and extending the school year into the summer break.
The Massachusetts Education Association, a branch of the far-left National Education Association, asked teachers union members in the North Shore area whether they’d be willing to strike for higher salaries and better benefits after the November 2024 elections, someone with knowledge of the meeting told The Daily Signal.
The Gloucester Teachers Association and the Beverly Teachers Association went on strike Nov. 8; the Marblehead Education Association followed suit Nov. 12.
Strikes are illegal for public employees in Massachusetts, so the teachers unions each have incurred fines north of $100,000.
On Nov. 13, Essex Superior Court Judge Janice Howe ordered that the Gloucester and Beverly teachers unions pay $50,000 if they didn’t end the strike by 6 p.m. that day. The fines were to increase by $10,000 each day that the strike didn’t end by 3 p.m., according to court documents.
A concerned parent and former union member, who asked for anonymity because of fear of retribution, said he spoke to two union representatives who confirmed that the Massachusetts Education Association pushed the local unions to strike.
The Massachusetts Education Association, however, didn’t respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on the strikes in the three school districts and whether it encouraged the actions.
Max Page, president of the state union, attended a rally in Seaside Park in Marblehead, Massachusetts, at the beginning of the strike, the sources said. Page also participated in a Nov. 20 “vigil” at Marblehead High School, where teachers talked to area residents about the state of contract negotiations with the district’s School Committee.
Sources close to the unions speculated that the Massachusetts Education Association pushed the strikes to show its strength and power over the schools.
The state teachers union encouraged teachers to be active on social media, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting in October 2023. Some teachers seemingly took this advice as a directive to bully parents who are critical of the strikes on Facebook.
One union, Marblehead Education Association, posted School Committee members’ phone numbers and emails on social media and urged readers to “help them understand by giving them a call and telling them you support an override vote that will fully fund our schools.”
For the teachers union to secure the requested salary increase, the town of Marblehead would need to take an override vote to increase local taxes. If it doesn’t carry, the union’s proposal would put the town in millions of dollars of debt.
“The union’s proposal would create a $7 million hole in the town’s budget and would necessitate a property tax override that would add more than $900 to the average tax bill if passed or result in the loss of 75 staff members,” the School Committee said.
One Facebook post lays out the Marblehead teachers’ requests and the School Committee’s responses, adding that the strike is losing support because of the amount of the requested salary increase and the risks to the town.
A teacher commented on the post: “It’s actually not the Marblehead educators’ problem that the town’s funds have been mismanaged, or to help them figure out where to find the money to pay for raises. People in this town need to stand up and declare how much they value their teachers, and demand that they get the fair contract they deserve.”
One parent’s Facebook post complains that since students are out of school, some won’t have access to meals, heat, and running water, as well as safety from domestic violence. The parent expresses concerns about learning loss and urges teachers to “come to a compromise for our children.”
A teacher responded, saying: “This post makes me so sad to see. … Please stand with us as we beg the school committee to come to the table and actually bargain.”
Another parent suggested the teachers’ raise request is unreasonable, as the School Committee “can’t create money that doesn’t exist.”
One teacher responded: “Stop by the pick line and we will answer any questions you have… “
Massachusetts law requires school districts to provide students with 180 days of school by June 30, so the district will likely need to nix February break and extend the school year into summer.
The School Committee in Marblehead reportedly made efforts to keep schools open, but the teachers union rejected them.
The School Committee offered twice to allow the Marblehead Education Association’s bargaining team to leave their classrooms to negotiate during the school day rather than for all teachers to go on strike, committee member Jennifer Schaeffner said at a Nov. 12 press conference.
Teachers would still receive pay while a substitute teacher covers their classes, but the Marblehead teachers union turned down the committee’s offer both times.
Page, president of the Massachusetts Education Association, defended the teachers’ decision to break the law by striking. He told MassLive that teachers strike because they believe “short-term learning loss” caused by school closures is worth it for the “long-term success” of students, although the strikes largely are over teachers’ pay.
“It’s an extreme action that [union] members never imagine taking,” Page said. “But clearly, some members, in overwhelming numbers, decided ‘This is what we have to do to have the schools that our students deserve.’”
Because striking is illegal for teachers unions in Massachusetts, teachers hardly ever go on strike and it is unheard of for teachers in three school districts to strike at the same time, the sources said.
In February, the Newton Teachers Association racked up $625,000 in court fines for a strike costing 11 days of school.
As parents and students grow increasingly restless, an Essex County Superior Court judge said late Thursday that fines would not be levied against striking teachers for Friday if teachers agree to go back to school Monday.
A neutral third party was to take over negotiations if a deal isn’t reached by 6 p.m. Monday.
“My daughter’s sad that she can’t go to school,” the local parent told The Daily Signal. “She misses it, she loves her school, she loves her teacher. So it’s awful.”
