The School Committee on July 20 sent this Negotiations Update to the Newton Public Schools community regarding the status of contract negotiations with the Newton Teachers Association (NTA). Some key points:
- “[W]e are very far apart—deeply far apart—in both how teachers are compensated when they increase their years of service by a year (step) and what they receive as a cost of living adjustment (COLA) on top of that.”
- “We … have notified the NTA of our intention to file [with the state] for mediation.”
- “[I]t has been shared with us that the NTA is already planning work stoppages and actions for the fall.”
- “[D]epending on … work stoppage actions, the school year may need to be extended for students in order to meet the DESE expectations for … hours of instruction for our students. …[C]hildren may have to attend school, depending on work stoppage impacts and potential snow days, up to June 30, 2024.”
- [W]ork stoppages and strikes are illegal in MA public schools, and the School Committee will have to file with the appropriate state commission regarding these actions. School Committees have a statutory obligation to seek to prevent these illegal actions.”
- “We remain committed to settling a fair contract for our educators.”
UPDATE: On July 21, Mike Zilles, president of the NTA, posted this response to the School Committee’s Negotiations Update. Some key points:
- The NTA “refused to join [the School Committee] in declaring an impasse [in the negotiations].”
- “[I]t appears that …the school committee hopes …to test a novel legal theory: that when the parties …have reached impasse, the district may impose its last best offer. …[T]his is a tactic used by employers in the private sector, …[where] it is also legal for workers …to strike.”
- “[N]o such work stoppage [by NTA members] is planned.”
- “[T]he School Committee seeks unprecedented concessions while offering a paltry financial package and only engaging in surface negotiations around critical working conditions topics such as work day, non-teaching duties, and health insurance.”
- Zilles urges NTA members not to participate in the voluntary professional development scheduled in August to review the new elementary literacy curriculum to be implemented in the fall.
- The NTA is expecting to “organize an action” at the traditional gathering of Newton educators on their first day back in September.
Ed. Note: This article was updated to include coverage of the NTA’s response.
