'Still Far Apart': Newton Schools Remain Closed For 8th Day Amid Teachers' Strike

NEWTON, MA — Schools are closed in Newton for an eighth day on Tuesday after the School Committee said there was no resolution to the ongoing teacher work stoppage that has become among the longest in the state in the past three decades.

All buildings will remain closed with all school-related activities — including athletics, arts programs, after-school care and community education programs canceled.

"We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back to school soon," the School Committee said in making the announcement shortly before 8 p.m.

Newton Teachers Association negotiating team spokesperson Lynn Penczar said during a news conference that Monday's negotiations brought the sides "inching closer on smaller issues," but they were still "far apart on many of the things that are most important to our students and our educators."

"Contracts like these are moral documents," she continued. "They are statements of our values. Through our bargaining priorities, we have made our priorities clear. We're committed to solving real problems in our schools."

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller once again called on teachers to return to the classrooms as negotiations on a new contract continue.

"Union leaders are not letting educators return to their classrooms while negotiations continue to resolve the contract," Fuller said on Monday night. "They are continuing to strike illegally, harming children and the Newton community.

"The Newton Public Schools are ready to open school doors wide as soon as they get word from the NTA. We will continue to commit to bargain in good faith with the NTA leadership while educators are in their classrooms. We are anxious to sign a competitive and sustainable contract with no layoffs in NPS or other departments."

The NTA said earlier on Monday that the School Committee had rejected what the NTA called "significant compromise proposals" before another day of negotiations and rallies.

Fuller said that while she is "committed to trying again and putting another override proposal in front of our voters" she cannot commit to that spending level pending the override should it fail — as was the case with the override attempt last spring.

"We can't and won't kick the can down the road only to face a fiscal crisis in the future," she said. "We are unwilling to sign an unsustainable contract that results in teacher layoffs. Similarly, we are unwilling to lay off police, firefighters and other municipal employees to pay for a contract
we cannot afford."

The NTA said that saying that the union's requests will necessarily lead to reduced services and layoffs is "ludicrous" and that Fuller and the School Committee were "choosing to engineer austerity budgets for city services in order to maintain surplus revenues to be used as she wishes."

The NTA reiterated on Monday that the union is seeking cost-of-living wage increases, "livable wages" for aides and support staff, increased mental health services for students, and what it calls "modern parental leave" policies.

The NTA membership voted 98 percent in favor of the strike on Jan. 18.

Despite fines for what is an illegal strike in Massachusetts totaling $425,000 as of Monday morning — with the possibility of those fines being extended or increased on Monday — the NTA said its membership is "as resolute as ever to secure the contract our students and educators need and deserve."

All school days missed during the strike will have to be made at some point during this academic year.