After another failed round of teacher contract talks, the Marblehead School Commmittee’s bargaining subcommittee Monday night filed for mediation with the state Department of Labor Relations. The subcommittee has already asked the DLR to intervene in negotiations for the custodians’ contract.
“The DLR has a near perfect record for successfully mediating agreements,” the subcommittee wrote in a statement Monday night. “The union bargaining team rejected the subcommittee’s request for a mediator to help work towards settling a new contract that meets the needs of the union and takes into account the fiscal reality of our town.”
Marblehead Education Association Co-president Jonathan Heller called that statement “untrue,” adding, “We did not reject their request for mediation. We told them that we needed to go back and discuss with our members.” Heller said the union will provide a response at the next bargaining session on Nov. 12.
In a statement, the MEA wrote, “The School Committee has made little to no effort since the start of the school year to settle contracts with educators that include adequate student lunch and recess, adequate staffing, living wages for educational support professionals, humane paid parental leave and wage increases for teachers to attract and retain staff in Marblehead.
“In addition to adequate access to counselors, our students need protected time for lunch and recess to best support their health and well-being,” the MEA continued. “Our educators deserve fair wages and access to modern paid family leave. A career in public education cannot be one that penalizes professionals who want active roles in the care of parents, children and other family members.”
The subcommittee said the MEA’s latest proposal provided “no movement on their wages totaling an increased cost of $9,691,000 over the four-year period. The MEA’s take-it-or-leave-it proposal remains more than $5,000,000 over the subcommittee’s current proposal.” Both the union and School Committee proposals would require an override or layoffs.
Teachers have been working without a new contract since Aug. 31. The MEA said its members are frustrated and tired.
“Educators are used to giving and getting very little in return, but these negotiations have taken that to a new level… There is a crisis in Marblehead Public Schools and the School Committee is more focused on hiring PR firms than settling fair contracts that address school needs.”
On Sunday night, Marblehead students released a video voicing support for teachers.
“Educators are deeply appreciative of the many students, parents and other community members who have voiced their support for a fair contract,” the MEA said. “This crisis did not arrive overnight. But avoiding the realities of paying for what our students deserve and need in terms of staff and programs is no way to solve the problems.”
The MEA also submitted a guest column Monday in response to former School Committee member Tom Mathers’ column in last week’s Current. The MEA column can be found HERE.
