Members of the Haverhill Education Association and the Malden Education Association were on picket lines as MTA Today went to press after members voted to strike amid heated contract negotiations.
On Friday, Oct. 14, when members of each local voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes, both the HEA and the MEA had been working without contracts for several months. Negotiations over the weekend did not produce a settlement in either community, and picketing began on Monday, Oct. 17.
HEA President Tim Briggs emerged from a bargaining session on Sunday and declared that the School Committee was not bargaining in good faith.
"They know that we are dedicated to our students. They have been taking advantage of that dedication and exploiting us," Briggs told hundreds of HEA members and supporters.
The HEA has been bargaining for adequate staffing and fair compensation — with Haverhill educators currently paid about $10,000 less than the state average. During a rally, educators spoke out against the district’s practice of pulling paraeducators assigned to work with students on Individualized Education Plans to cover classrooms when teachers are absent. The HEA was also seeking contract language to provide adequate preparation time for educators and a program to increase the number of educators of color.
In Malden, MEA President Deb Gesualdo sharply criticized the School Committee’s decision to walk away from the bargaining table on Sunday night and seek a state mediator.
"We are taking back the dignity and the respect that has been stolen from us," Gesualdo had told supporters at a rally on Saturday. The MEA has been fighting for a living wage for paraeducators, adequate staffing and a commitment from the school district to work with the city to address housing insecurity among students and their families.
Members of other MTA locals joined rallies in both communities. The MTA Board of Directors released a statement on Oct. 15 stating: "In Malden and Haverhill, our members are fighting for the common good. When school committees fail to settle fair contracts, they disrespect not only educators, but also the students and the communities that depend on our public schools. Malden and Haverhill are saying enough is enough. We applaud the courage of our locals and our members to act and speak out to achieve what their students, educators and communities deserve."
Please visit facebook.com/massteacher and massteacher.org for updates on this developing story.
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