Striking Massachusetts teachers appeal to governor on Statehouse steps

BOSTON (AP) — Teachers from three striking unions rallied on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Maura Healey to help them reach a resolution.

The teachers arrived from Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead, three communities north of Boston.

Margaret Rudolph, a paraprofessional in the Gloucester schools for the past 18 years, said teachers there have been working with an expired contract for more than 500 days.

“The union bargained for months, making little progress,” she told fellow teachers outside the Statehouse. “This strike was our last resort.”

Healey said as the daughter of public school teachers and union members, she has an appreciation for educators and staff, but her focus is getting students back into the classroom.

“It is unacceptable that school has been closed for more than a week in Marblehead, Gloucester and Beverly. I’m urging both parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible for the good of our kids, families, educators and staff,” Healey said Tuesday in a written statement.

Last Tuesday, judges imposed a fine of $50,000 on the unions in Beverly and Gloucester that they said would increase by $10,000 for every day the teachers remained on strike. The unions voted Nov. 7 to authorize a strike and schools have remained closed.

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Work stoppages by teachers are rare in Massachusetts, partly because state law bans public sector employees from striking.

The Beverly Teachers Association has said it was pushing for smaller class sizes in the 4,500-student district, 12 weeks of paid parental leave and a “living wage” for paraprofessionals or teachers assistants whose starting salary is $20,000.

Ruth Furlong, a special education teacher in Beverly for the past 10 years, said teachers understood that unions would face consequences, but said justice isn’t served by what she called “outright union-busting.”

Furlong said by moving slowly on negotiations, school officials let enough time lapse to allow court-ordered fines to kick in.

“Nowhere in the process of bargaining does management face consequences for not bargaining in good faith,” she said.

School officials in Beverly remain optimistic that they can reach a resolution. Students have lost seven days to the job action, Rachael Abell, chair of the Beverly School Committee, said Tuesday.

“We are already facing difficult decisions ahead about delaying graduation for seniors or using time off in February, April, or on weekends to reach the state-mandated 180 days of learning for our other students,” Abell said.

In Gloucester, the union in the 2,800-student district has asked for eight weeks of fully paid parental leave: two weeks at 75% and two weeks at 50%. It also wants significant pay increases for paraprofessionals, safer conditions for students and more prep time for elementary school teachers.

Republicans called for teachers to return to the classrooms, criticizing what they called the outsize influence of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state’s largest union.

“Families are being held hostage by the MTA’s reckless and illegal actions,” said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale. “Parents are forced to pay out of pocket for childcare or miss work to stay home with their kids.”