On Thursday, February 1, both the Commonwealth Employement Relations Board (CERB) and the Newton School Committee filed Emergency Motions for Reconsideration of Sanctions against the Newton Teachers Association and a request for an immediate hearing. See Emergency Motion for Reconsideration of Sanctions and Immediate Request for Hearing and Memorandum of Law in Support.
In the filings, both ask the judge “to reconsider and materially increase the amount of the coercive fine as reduced in the January 26th Order against the Newton Teachers Association (“NTA”) and Michael Zilles (“Zilles”), in his individual capacity, (collectively “Defendants”)” and ask the court to immediately hold a hearing on the request. Calling the Defendants actions “contumacious defiance” and “intransigency,” they argue that the sanctions will be “nullified” unless the fines are substantially increased and are requesting that the fines be doubled each day in addition to the $525,000 that has accrued as of the date of filing and payment is to be made daily to the general fund of the Commonwealth (if incurred by 8PM, fines due 9AM the next morning). In addition, they request that the NTA is to report the amount of received donations.
Additionally, the court posted a 91-page Exhibit to the case’s online docket containing letters submitted by Newton residents overwhelmingly in support of ending the strike. The documents included hand-drawn letters from children, and were submitted directly to the judge as unaffiliated with either side’s case.
