Beverly Teachers Strike: School Canceled Tuesday Despite 'Significant Movement'
BEVERLY, MA — Beverly classrooms will be closed on Tuesday for a second straight school day despite what the Beverly Teachers Association termed as “significant movement” toward a new collective bargaining agreement.
The statement, posted on the BTA’s Facebook page early Monday night, was the first sign of progress in talks on a new contract two months after the previous one expired and days after School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said the sides remained about $14.4 million apart in wage proposals.
The BTA held a joint rally in Gloucester on Monday with striking teachers from Gloucester and Marblehead.
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The School Committee has sought legal pressure on the BTA to end its “illegal” strike. Public sector union strikes are against the law in Massachusetts with the BTA facing the possibility of escalating fines and other penalties each day it extends.
The BTA urged supporters to join them in pushing for a deal about an hour before a scheduled joint press conference with Gloucester and Marblehead teachers on negotiation progress.
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“Gather as soon as you can at McKeown Preschool,” the BTA said. “Parents, community members, and students are encouraged to join. Let’s make some noise and urge management to get this contract done tonight.”
The School Committee did not provide any updates as of early Monday night but a message did go out to parents notifying them of there being no school on Tuesday.
“We sincerely desire to make progress but we need the BTA to provide meaningful counter proposals versus demands and must understand that the wages cannot continue to be held for other monetary items to resolve,” Abell said in her last public update. “We continue to urge the BTA to end their illegal strike and return to school on Tuesday and we can continue the mediation work without harm to our students’ academics and activities.”
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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