Teachers Strike update, Feb. 1: NPS makes offer, says “There is no more money.” NTA counters ($4M apart), awaits response. Healey weighs in. Schools closed Friday.

On February 1: The School Committee…

• …joined with CERB in filing an Emergency Motion in court calling for a daily doubling of fines while the strike continues and a court hearing (now scheduled for 3PM on February 2).
• … delivered a revised proposal to the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) around 1PM and distributed a presentation summarizing it and comparing it with peer districts specified by the NTA.
• … held a press conference in which School Committee Chair Chris Brezski and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller spoke, accompanied by most members of the School Committee and its negotiating committee.
• …voted to authorize canceling February school vacation, as its initial effort toward recouping the 11 missed school days incurred so far due to the strike. (A change in the school calendar is subject to negotiation with the union.)
• …delivered a revised proposal (the second one of the day) to the NTA around 11PM.

The NTA offered a counterproposal to the School Committee’s 1PM proposal and announced at its evening press conference that it awaits a reply. With this counterproposal from the NTA, the sides were about $4 million apart over the life of the contract.

The Healey/Driscoll Administration announced that the Department of Labor Relations filed a motion asking the court to:

• Hold twice-daily conferences for the parties to provide update the court and the public on steps they are taking to resolve differences;
• Allow the Secretary of Education to participate in the twice-daily conferences to speak to the harm caused to Newton students each day that Newton’s schools are closed;
• Order binding arbitration if an agreement is not reached by 5PM on February 2.

NPS announced that schools will be closed on Friday, February 2.

School Committee Press Conference

In its press conference (see NewTV video), School Committee Chair Brezski read a statement that said in part:

• “It was the collective failure of the School Committee, the NTA and the City that we couldn’t agree to a contract. But the strike itself is not a collective failure. It is a unilateral decision … to close our schools while negotiations progress.”
• “The two parties have come to agreement on just about all the issues. Except one: the money. …we agreed to a parental leave policy. …We have agreed on how to address issues of class size and social workers in our buildings. Now it is just about the money.”
• “The School Committee [asked City Hall for and received] additional funds, …to add a 4th year to the contract, support the NTA healthcare demand, increase Unit C paraprofessional compensation, provide a retention payment for Unit C members in December 2024.”
• “We have given every resource to this contract that we can without harming students.”
• “The union’s proposal, best I can tell, is based on advocacy from the Massachusetts Teachers Association for COLA percentages that one district [Andover] paid their striking teachers. …Educators in that one district will earn less in 2026 – after their big percentage increases – than a Newton teacher earned in 2023. That district also just announced a proposal to lay off approximately 4% of their staff to fund a contract that they couldn’t afford.”
• “The reason that our kids remain out of school is that a teacher making $91,251 today will make [at the end of this contract] $121,299 and not $123,744.” [One of five examples cited of the difference between the School Committee and NTA positions on COLA]
• “This comes with additional longevity payments paid annually for long-tenured employees, and a package of benefits that are unrivaled among our peers.”
• “The Committee has focused… on the mental health needs of our students…  in the package of funding we negotiated with City Hall back in December [for]  more social workers and other supports at elementary schools [and increasing] the wages of our Unit C aides, some of whose earnings will increase 50% over the life of the contract.”
• “The Massachusetts Teachers Association, who is leading elements of this strike effort and leading elements of the negotiation …, isn’t concerned about the aftermath of what’s left in its wake.”
• “Today, we asked the NTA bargaining team to take our proposal to their membership for a vote. President Mike Zilles refused on the spot.”
• “For the sake of families who rely on NPS for two meals a day, for …students with special needs who are disconnected from the adults they count on, for …all 12,000 students of the Newton Public Schools. Enough is enough.”
• “Mike [Zilles] – Take the proposal to your membership for a vote.

In responding to questions, Brezski said:

• “[Regarding the School Committee’s 1PM proposal] We are still $15 million apart over the life of the contract. Almost the entirety of that comes from the COLA demands.”
• “We will respond to anything the union puts forth with the understanding that we have allocated all our resources. …We are not going to go to a place where Andover went to, where we say we’re going to lay off 4% of our staff to fund a contract we can’t afford. That is not in the best interest of our students. That will not provide the social workers. That will not reduce high-school class sizes.”
• “There’s a very intentional strategy outside …to try to break you down and make you make decisions that you don’t think are in the best interest of kids, to set aside logic and do something emotional. And we’re not prepared to do that.”
• “What I told Mike [Zilles] at the bargaining table today: We don’t have any more money to devote to this contract. It’s a fair offer. It’s a great offer. It is an incredibly competitive offer. Take it to your members. Let them decide.”

Mayor Fuller said:

• “We have provided every possible available dollar for the needs of our students and the settlement of this contract. There is no more additional money. The operating budget and the one-time funds have been fully committed.”
• “The School Committee …is offering a truly competitive contract. It supports our schools, teachers, and students. And it honors the asks of the union.”
• “We will not compromise the education of our students with layoffs. …This offer makes sure that today and tomorrow, we keep improving the quality of our schools without diminishing city services that our residents need.”
• “President Zilles, put this offer in front of your membership. Let them decide themselves. Open our schools. Put our kids back in their classrooms.”

NTA Press Conference

At the NTA’s nightly press conference (see NewTV video), Maria Citrin spoke about her experience as an NPS parent and educator in the NPS Bridge program.

NTA spokesperson Ryan Normandin summarized the day of bargaining, saying:

• “Last night [we] sent the School Committee our latest proposal, and we sent them an additional proposal on social workers this morning.”
• “We [received] the School Committee’s proposal around 1PM and sent back a response a few hours later. The proposal that we sent them today is our best yet. It maintains our core priorities…: a social worker in every building, a living wage for aides and behavioral therapists, a modern and humane parental leave policy. It even included a return-to-work agreement.”
• “This proposal works within the purported financial restrictions of the School Committee. [It] puts us under $4 million apart from the School Committee’s latest proposal over the life of the entire contract, all four years, during which time the City’s budget is over $2 billion. We should be done. Schools should be open.”
• “We are to ready to move forward, and when we do, everyone is going to have to come together. When this is over, we need Mayor Fuller, Chris Brezski, and the School Committee to work with us and our students, not against us.”
• “We call on Chris Brezski and his School Committee to agree to our latest proposal, settle this contract, and return our students and educators to the schools that they deserve. …All they have to do is say ‘Yes’.”

NTA President Mike Zilles responded to questions by saying:

• “We received the School Committee’s proposal around 1:30PM, and yes, we did refuse to take the proposal as it was worded to our membership. It wasn’t ready yet. We crafted a new proposal …to them around 4:30 or 5PM.”
• “We included …a return-to-work agreement. …We have to make sure there’s no retaliation against our members for having gone on strike. There’s always some concern about how to settle …the financial obligations of the union and district for costs of the strike.”
• “We think we’re close enough for them to take it to a vote of the School Committee. ..It’s time to stop divisive rhetoric. …We’re going to have to work together.”
• “We worked more within the parameters of what [the School Committee] are proposing for Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Units A, B, and E, and we are still holding fast on …the more necessary, higher Cost-of-Living Adjustments …particularly for Unit C (our educational support professionals). That’s where we think we need to stand firm.”
• “The game of chicken really needs to come to an end. I want the kids back. All the teachers …want the kids back. …They have to stop the posturing and get to Yes.”
• [Regarding loss of February vacation to make up for lost days] “That’s pretty early after the strike to once again disrupt people’s schedules. …It would be hard for anybody who has vacation scheduled. …I think it’s unfair to both the students and the educators.”
• [Regarding the prospect of the court requiring escalating fines, reporting twice daily, and bind arbitration] “I think we need to reach a deal tonight. …We’re waiting for a response.”

NOTE: As stated in the summary at the top of this article, the School Committee delivered a revised proposal (its second one of the day) to the NTA around 11PM.