Melrose Teachers Strike Possible, District Says

MELROSE, MA — A teacher strike may be on the horizon in Melrose, city leaders said on Thursday amid an ongoing dispute over contract negotiations.

The Melrose Education Association had not announced any strike plans publicly as of Friday morning, though the Education Association is planning a rally in Melrose on Sunday.

Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur on Thursday said he’s “disheartened” by the prospect of a strike.

Melrose Public Schools Superintendent Julie Kukenberger addressed school community members in a letter Thursday night, saying that the Education Association was believed to be planning to vote “in the near future” to authorize a strike order.

Schools are scheduled to open on Friday and reopen next week after Martin Luther King Jr. day, Kukenberger said. But plans will change if the city’s educators union opts to strike, Kukenberger said.

“[W]e wanted to provide some information today so that parents and guardians can begin to make alternate plans for their children, if necessary,” Kukenberger said.

Kukenberger said the district had not heard from Melrose Education Association leaders about their plans. She said leaders had also not responded to a direct request for information.

Patch has reached out to Melrose Education Association President Lisa Donovan and will update with any response.

“We realize this uncertainty presents significant challenges for students, and families and we share your frustration,” Kukenberger said in her letter to families.

Kukenberger encouraged families to begin making alternate plans for their child in case officials have to close schools. The district, Kukenberger said, will keep families informed of any developments.

Teacher contracts in the Melrose Public Schools expired in 2022 alongside paraprofessional contracts.

The Melrose Education Association and the School Committee reached a deal on a paraprofessional contract last month. Parties hadn’t reached a deal in teacher negotiations and the School Committee soon declared an impasse.

The committee filed for mediation from the state in late December, asking for third party help to break its deadlock with union negotiators.

Talks, the committee said in its request for mediation, were stalled over a series of topics ranging from pay, to meeting time, to the amount of preparation time given to teachers.

Melrose Education Association leaders protested the School Committee’s move for mediation, declaring a vote of no confidence in the School Committee and Mayor Paul Brodeur on Tuesday.

The union’s statement announcing its no confidence vote said Brodeur and the School Committee have been intransigent while also misrepresenting aspects of negotiations to date.

The union said the School Committee’s request for mediation was “further evidence of the mayor’s and the school committee’s unwillingness to take responsibility for managing the Melrose Public Schools.”

Just two days after the no confidence announcement, Melrose Public Schools officials were publicly bracing for a possible strike Thursday.

Kukenberger told families that the School Committee “is committed to negotiating a new three-year contract with the (Melrose Education Association) that is fair to our employees, is in line with the economic realities facing the City, and meets the needs of our students and families.”

Kukenberger said the School Committee’s request for mediation aimed to bring in a third party “to help the parties successfully reach a new agreement at the negotiating table."

Kukenberger continued, saying the state Department of Labor Relations had issued a notice of mediation on Thursday afternoon in response to the School Committee’s request. The district has reached out to union counterparts to schedule mediation sessions, according to Kukenberger.

Kukenberger said district officials “are hopeful” that the Melrose Education Association will not opt to strike.

Brodeur said a strike would be “harmful” to students while also burdening parents and caregivers. Mediation, he said, would be a "far better path."

“The School Committee is committed to negotiating with the MEA for a new contract that is fair to our teachers, is in line with the economic resources available to the City, and meets the needs of our students and families,” Broduer said. “At the end of the day, everyone wants what is best for our students.”

Brodeur also pointed to state law that prohibits strikes among public employees, including public school educators.

While in place, the ban on strikes has not stopped such actions over the past year. Malden educators went on strike in October alongside educators in Haverhill.

Brookline educators went on strike in May of 2022 over their own set of contract negotiations.

Melrose educators have protested the state of their contract negotiations since the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.

Along the way, union leaders and rank-and-file members alike have centered calls for higher pay and more preparation time. Among other things, they’ve pointed to state figures showing a disparity between teacher salaries in Melrose and other districts.

The statewide average teacher salary in 2019-2020 — the last year for which data is available — was $84,638, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Melrose’s average was $69,025.

Wakefield, in comparison, had an average salary for teachers of $83,375. Malden paid an average of $84,785, while Stoneham paid $78,626. Saugus paid $78,350.

Brodeur and the Melrose School Committee have said they’ve made proposals to date that would increase teacher pay.

Brodeur told Patch last month that he respects “where they’re coming from,” in terms of the Melrose Education Association and remaining key sticking points in contract negotiations.

He pointed to financial constraints, though, that he said limit the city’s ability to allocate more funding for larger increases or certain other contract provisions.

“I wish I didn’t have to keep an eye out for everything else,” he said at the time. “But I do.”

While mum on the district’s recent warnings about a possible strike, the Melrose Education Association again on Thursday night promoted plans for its rally this weekend.

The rally is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Melrose’s Memorial Knoll Park across from Melrose High School and Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School.

“Educators, students, and families in Melrose have had enough,” read one poster promoting the event on Thursday.

Update: The Melrose Education Association ratified a new contract for teachers on Monday after parties reached a deal on a tentative agreement on Saturday.