On January 18, a reported 98% of the membership of the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) voted to go on strike starting on January 19 until a contract is reached with the Newton School Committee. NTA president Mike Zilles made the announcement on the steps of City Hall’s War Memorial Auditorium, backed by about 100 union members holding signs and chanting “Enough is enough!”
Prior to the rally, the NTA released this statement. At the rally, NTA representatives said:
- “Our proposals are reasonable and necessary. The City has the money to pay for our proposals and does not need an override. We need leadership that pays for what our families and educators value — the education kids receive in this city. We will no longer allow Mayor Fuller to exploit our labor and compromise our students’ education under the guise of fiscal responsibility. The Mayor’s austerity budgeting, as she continues to sock away money for pet projects rather than fund the schools, has to end.”
- “Why did a Proposition [2.5] override fail in February? It didn’t fail because us and don’t support the schools and don’t support the city of Newton. …That override was a referendum on Mayor Fuller, and the citizens of this city also said, ‘No. Enough is enough.”
- “The NTA proposes a full-time social worker in every elementary and middle-school building. The recommended ratio of social workers to students … is 1 to 250. Newton Public Schools do not meet that. Not even close. We cannot tell a struggling child, ‘Can you hold on a few days? Our social worker will be here Thursday.”
- “Educators are trained to literally put their bodies between children and harm, and budget cuts cause harm. …We bend over backwards to try to stand between our kids and that harm. We can’t do it anymore. Enough is enough.”
- “No more lies and deception. No more bad-faith bargaining. No more working without a contract.”
Response from Newton Public Schools
After the NTA rally, NPS Superintendent Anna Nolin emailed a message about the strike to the NPS community with information about cancellations and closures, as well as access to Grab and Go meals for students.
Shortly after the NTA rally at City Hall, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) held a press conference at the Education Center to respond to the NTA’s vote to strike. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said School Committee Chair answered questions.
Regarding the $55 million that the NTA is saying the City has but will not release, Mayor Fuller said that the City has some one-time funds and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to put them to work. She said those funds have been allocated, with priority for the NPS, noting “There’s not piles of cash just waiting to be deployed.” She said that in December, she worked with the Superintendent and the School Committee Chair to turn some of those one-time funds into ongoing funding for NPS, and that is already part of the NPS offer that is on the table. Regarding whether there is more money available to bridge the remaining gap, Fuller said “the one time money has already been allocated and put to use.”
School Committee Chair Breszki said that NPS has offered over the previous two weeks to “meet pretty much any date or time,” but the most recent mediation session was on January 8 and the only date that the NTA offered for the next meeting was Friday, January 19 — the day after the vote and press conference and the first day of the strike. There is a negotiation session scheduled for tomorrow and it is not clear how the strike will effect that meeting.
In response to a question about what the unions are asking for, Brezski said the variables they are working through are cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), benefits, and parental leave, “along with a host of what they would term working conditions” through which the School Committee is seeking more flexibility in the contracts in order to “serve the kids and do what is best for them.” Asked what a nearly unanimous vote to strike says about the current situation, Brezski said, “I think it says it’s a terrible situation. Obviously the teachers are not content with the offer we’ve put on the table, but we have to think about sustaining this organization, being able to provide what we need for our kids and still putting forth a competitive offer. We believe we put forth a competitive offer. I know they would like an even more competitive offer.” When asked what it would take to come to an agreement, Brezski said, “I don’t know.”
With regard to a comment that Mayor Fuller made at a press conference on January 17 regarding an override, Fuller said that NPS needs a lot of investments. “We have a new superintendent with a terrific plan for improving teaching and learning here. Additional moneys will be needed to support our children, and I am confident ….that we will go back to the voters and ask them to invest in the Newton Public Schools.”
Ed. Note: We have updated this article to include video and quotes from the NTA rally and the NPS press conference.
