School Committee Chair questions what the strike is really about.
On January 30, the School Committee presented a revised proposal to the Newton Teachers Association (NTA), and the NTA said that it would respond with its own revised proposal at noon on January 31. The Teachers Strike continues, and schools will remain closed on January 31, the 9th day of the strike.
Events of the Afternoon
Shortly after noon, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) announced that the School Committee had offered the NTA a proposal that “increases COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for all employees by a minimum of 12% [over the four years of the proposed contract], with increases for Unit C aides ranging from 14% – 15% (depending on years of experience).” NPS stated that the rest of the complete proposal “addresses the key priorities the NTA has named throughout this strike, including 12 weeks paid parental leave and a meaningful increase to Unit C compensation, [and] “upholds …priorities the union has also championed: reduced class sizes, improved access to electives, and increased social worker support for students.”
Earlier that day, City Council Finance Chair Lenny Gentile had sent a memo to the community outlining his thoughts about financial resources available and the ongoing negotiations. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller responded in a letter to Councilor Gentile shared by the Mayor’s Office.
In the afternoon, City Council President Marc Laredo held a press conference — with 14 other Councilors present and acknowledging several others who could not attend — expressing grave concern about the effects of the Teachers Strike on the community, urging the School Committee and NTA to compromise as necessary to reach agreement, and calling on the Mayor to fully fund the School Committee’s latest proposal if it is adopted.
In the evening, the NTA and School Committee each held press conferences, and a group of community members spoke with the press outside the Education Center.
NTA Press Conference
The NTA Conference (see NewTV video) began with Underwood School psychiatrist Linda Hamblin recounting her experience and the working conditions she and her colleagues face each and every day. She spoke of how without support, she is unable to get to general education student counseling because she is working on IEPs and how her colleague, a half-time social worker, cannot provide needed counseling because she is often told to cover the gaps in classrooms from aides and support staff.
NSHS Math and Physics teacher Ryan Normandin began by stating “the School Committee told us what we have always known to be the case — that they will no longer be bargaining with us — they are done.” When asked who said this, he said their mediator had told them.
He described the day’s negotiations and said that they had seen some progress around the COLAs but expressed frustration, saying that he does not think the School Committee understands who the NTA members are and what they are fighting for. He said, “I stand up here every night and I tell you what our priorities are: living wage for our aides, parental leave, mental health supports for our kids. These are the things we are fighting for. And they tied these COLA increases to rejecting these other proposals.”
Regarding pressure from the City to end this strike, Normandin said they are glad to see the City feeling the same urgency that the NTA has felt, adding that the NTA has been trying to settle this contract for 16 months. “I’m glad to see the City Council is taking interest.”
Regarding parents who are growing increasingly frustrated with the strike, Normandin said that the NTA members “really, really empathize with the disruption that this is causing, and we want nothing more than to be back in the classroom with our kids.” He added that “we feel that the community is still behind us and they know we are fighting for the right stuff. We’re fighting for our kids – fighting for educators — and fighting to give them the schools that they deserve – their students deserve.”
School Committee Press Conference
At the School Committee press conference, School Committee Chair Chris Brezski and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller expressed continued frustration. They emphasized that they have put a strong and sustainable proposal on the table. (See NewTV video.)
Brezski said:
The response from the union was incremental at best, and it makes me question whether the union really wants a deal. It makes me question what this strike is really about. Is it about Newton’s kids and teachers? Is it about money? Or is it about some other, bigger agenda – one where our kids are being used as pawns?
Throughout the duration of this strike we have continued to improve our already competitive offer. Our COLA proposal for teachers and aides …ensures we will remain among the highest-paying districts in the state. The union’s demands are simply not justified, and they are not tethered to any reality. The comprehensive offer that we presented at noon addressed all of the NTA’s priorities.
Brezski enumerated the following:
- “Unit C (aides) will see their wages rise as much as 40% over the life of the contract.
- A Unit A classroom teacher earning $120,000 today will see their salary increase 12.6% to $135,000 at the end of the contract.
- We offered 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
- We have already committed to reducing high school class sizes and adding social workers at our elementary schools as part of the package of funding we negotiated with the City back in December.”
Breezski said that despite numerous concessions, “the NTA has steadfastly maintained its demands for wage increases and refused to make significant compromises. To get into the union demands of 14 – 19% of Cost-of-Living increases would ensure layoffs in our schools.”
Noting that NTA President Mike Zilles had earlier said, “We did not strike to lose,” Brezski said, “I said …last Friday that there would be no winners here, only losers. For the Committee, this has never been about anything except what is in the best interests of our students, our educators, and this city. Our kids have already lost. End the strike.”
Mayor Fuller began by reminding the harm the illegal strike was inflicting on “children, our parents, our caregivers, our good City of Newton.” She said the School Committee increased its offer “because with the help of the NPS Administration, [she has] committed to fully funding it.” She added that “A more expensive contract results in layoffs – larger class sizes and fewer support services for our students,” and that she “cannot and … will not agree to any contract that will result in layoffs that hurt students’ and residents’ services and programs “
When asked about her not being present at the negotiation table previously, Mayor Fuller said, “It was very important to …the negotiating team to keep me very involved but not at the table so the negotiations would actually be more fruitful. Tonight Chair Brezski asked me to join them, thinking this is a last resort, we have such a meaningful offer on the table,” and both are “hoping that the urgency of teaching and learning for our children will be lifted up by my presence.”
Regarding any agreements on issues raised by the NTA, Brezski said, “Let’s be honest — it was always about the money. This started with a $36 million gap between what they wanted and what we could give them. At this moment, there is still a healthy gap there, but we have addressed, we believe, the union’s concerns.”
When asked if the School Committee had told the mediator (as stated at the NTA press conference) that the School Committee would not negotiate any more, Brezski said, “No, absolutely not. That was not said. Nothing like that was said.”
After the press conference, Mayor Fuller attended a 9PM negotiating session in person — her first time participating in person. According to an email from the Mayor later that night, the NTA said in that session that it would respond to the School Committee’s January 30 proposal at noon on January 31.
Community Members Speak at Education Center
After the NTA Press conference, a group of approximately 40 people identifying as Newton parents assembled in front of the Education Center and gave a series of short speeches. Lital Asher-Dotan, who had yesterday filed an emergency motion for the court to end the strike, said she spoke “as a voice of many in our community who feel they cannot speak out…some parents feel potential repercussions for themselves or their children” and stated the strike was an “infringement of children’s right to education under Massachusetts law.”
Allison Goldberg, who with her husband David Goldberg earlier that day had also filed a motion for the court to intervene on behalf of their daughter, stated the court should “order more severe economic sanctions against the NTA and/or order the arrest of Michael Zilles for criminal contempt of court” and called upon the judge “to uphold the law.” Mr. Goldberg further discussed the possibility of a class-action lawsuit on behalf of students “including approximately 2,400 students on IEPs.”
During these speeches, a driver on Walnut Street yelled, “Open The Schools,” and the assembled group cheered.
Adam Bernstein, Bruce Henderson, and Amy Sangiolo contributed reporting for this article. We have substantially updated his article — originally titled “Teachers Strike update, Jan. 30: School Committee offers 12% COLA,,” — to include information from press conferences later in the day and evening.
