In separate press conferences on the evening of February 2, the Newton School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA) announced that moments earlier they had reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract that both parties said they are proud of. The School Committee will meet on Saturday at 10AM…
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The School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA) bargained through the night of February 1, stopping at 6AM without reaching a final agreement. Negotiations were scheduled to resume at 1PM today. See below for details on events of the day, including: Morning Statements from Each Party Here is a summary…
On February 1: The School Committee… 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…
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…
On January 31, while the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and School Committee held their nightly press conferences inside the Education Center, two groups — NTA supporters and members of the recently formed Kids First — gathered outside, presenting different messages. NTA members and supporters continued their day-long rally, singing, dancing,…
On January 31, the School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA) continued to meet, and at the end of the day, each side acknowledged some progress was made and that the remaining gap is primarily financial. Late in the evening, the parties continued to meet as the strike continues. Schools…
National Education Association President Becky Pringle echoed messages from Massachusetts Teachers Association leaders that the striking Newton teachers were fighting a larger fight for education. The NEA – the nation’s largest labor union – joined other unions, including The Teamsters and AFL-CIO — in endorsing the Newton Teachers Association (NTA)…
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…
As Newton entered Day 9 of the Newton Public Schools’ (NPS) teachers’ strike, 15 after-school programs that parents have already paid for remain shuttered. Each elementary school hosts a nonprofit after-school program “for the enrichment and enjoyment of children between 5-12 years of age,” according to NPS. After the strike…
Fig City News recently spoke with David Helfman, a Newton resident with significant experience in labor strike negotiations, advising unions on collective bargaining packages, as well as serving as a trustee on pension funds. The notes from this discussion are condensed for this article. FCN: You have a background serving on…