Could more teachers’ strikes be on the horizon in Massachusetts?

NEWTON, Mass. — The 15-day Newton teachers’ strike ended Friday, but many are wondering if this is the beginning of a larger movement, with more contentious contract negotiations and work stoppages ahead.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association said seven teachers unions have voted to strike since 2022: Andover, Brookline, Haverhill, Malden, Melrose, Newton, and Woburn. Dedham teachers went on strike for one day in 2019, the MTA said.

“It’s only a new trend if school committees, mayors, and city councils don’t come to the table ready to bargain,” said MTA President Max Page.

Newton educators claimed victory Friday night, celebrating a new contract that not only raised salaries but guaranteed social workers in every school, increased pay for teacher’s aides, and created a better parental leave policy. Page said other unions could see positive results from Newton’s prolonged strike and want the same thing.

“Other districts [could] look at that and go, we deserve that too,” Page said. “They see those dramatic gains made in places like Woburn, Andover, and Newton, certainly they say, don’t we deserve that too?”

Teacher strikes in Massachusetts are illegal. The Newton Teachers Association could be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and other penalties, and Glenn Koocher, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, thinks unions will take note of such a steep cost.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a trend where more districts will go out on strike, especially after some of the penalties these districts have had to pay,” Koocher said.

Koocher also said striking teachers run the risk of losing community support.

“I don’t think the strike is a vehicle for endearing oneself to the community. It’s never a good idea when kids aren’t in school,” Koocher said.

There are around 400 Massachusetts school districts and in any given year, 50 to 100 of those communities could be negotiating a new contract with teachers. Page said very few result in an actual work stoppage.

“Other districts are inspired by the example of very powerful contract campaigns. Some of those have been great campaigns that have not resulted in a strike,” Page said.

Page also blamed cities and towns that bring in outside attorneys who, in Page’s opinion, create an adversarial environment during negotiations.

“What unites some of these places are these high-priced ‘union busting’ lawyers,” Page said. “They heighten the divisiveness, show great disrespect for [union] members and only makes things worse. That is a component school committees need to look at.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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