Newton Teachers Strike Update: No School, Picket Lines, Negotiations

NEWTON, MA — Members of the Newton Teachers Associations were back out on the streets of the Garden City on Monday pressing their case for a new contract after a second straight day of classes was canceled amid the ongoing strike.

The NTA planned picket lines at eight schools across the city on Monday morning with a City Hall rally set for 1 p.m. as negotiations continue were set to continue with the mayor and School Committee.

Superintendent Anna Nolin said that despite three full days of mediation there was no agreement on Sunday night and that all buildings would remain closed and school-related events are canceled "until the strike ends."

Families will be able to access buildings for medical or health supplies only, but all sports games and practices, fine arts, after-school programs and community education programs are suspended during the work stoppage.

The Newton School Committee released a statement Sunday night saying that the NTA is "in violation of the Superior Court's order to disavow the strike" and saying that the city had offered what it called "revised proposals that improved benefits related to parental leave, and addressed NTA concerns regarding our Time on Learning Agreement."

"Given these enhanced proposals, we were optimistic that the NTA would respond today in a manner that would allow us to have a productive conversation," the School Committee said.

However, the School Committee charged that the NTA did not respond promptly to the new proposal and that it "increased its monetary demands on other items relative to their most recent proposals."

"There remains significant distance between the parties on other major issues," the School Committee said.

The NTA responded in a statement to Patch late Monday morning.

"While educators had hoped to be back in their schools today, the fact remains that Mayor (Ruthanne) Fuller and the School Committee continue to treat contract talks as routine bargaining," the NTA said. "Our core proposals and issues have remained unchanged: living wages for Educational Support Professionals, increased mental health supports for students, humane family leave policies, reasonable cost of living adjustments.

"The School Committee knows what it takes to settle the contract and needs to muster the courage to join us in demanding Mayor Fuller fully fund our schools."

A Middlesex County superior court judge said that the NTA had until Sunday at 3 p.m. to cancel the strike or it would be found in violation of the law that prohibits teacher strikes in Massachusetts.

Newton teachers voted Thursday afternoon to walk off the job effective Friday morning after the union said 98 percent of its membership voted in favor of the strike.

Newton Public Schools offered "grab-and-go" breakfast and lunch pickup for students in need on Friday and Monday in a manner similar to the distribution during the COVID-19 health crisis.

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

The strike comes amid a five-month contract impasse with the teachers calling for a new deal with pay increases, better paid parental leave, increased mental health support for students, and guaranteed time to prepare coursework and collaborate with colleagues.