Marblehead teachers vote to go on strike starting Tuesday

Teachers in Marblehead, Massachusetts, are the latest in the state to authorize a strike, the Marblehead Education Association confirmed Friday.

The union said 99% of its educators voted to strike, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 12. The union said they are fighting for a contract that includes things like a safety committee, additional recess time for younger students, access to bereavement leave for pregnancy loss, modern parental leave and competitive wages.

The decision comes the same week teachers in Gloucester and Beverly decided to strike over stalled contract negotiations in their communities.

Marblehead teachers said Friday that morale is at an all-time low, and turnover is at an all-time high.

"Educator salaries and benefits in Marblehead are some of the lowest in the region, and they have not kept pace with settlements in our neighboring districts," said John Heller of the Marblehead Educators Association.

Besides a pay raise, teachers are asking for safer working conditions and a modern parental leave system.

"It is reasonable to ask for paid leave to care for a family member, bond with a new child, or grieve for the loss of a pregnancy," said Sally Shevory of the Marblehead Educators Association.

At a school committee meeting Friday night, the district said it had bargained in good faith, and all missed school days because of the strike will have to be made up.

"Our goal is to focus on getting teachers back in the classroom as quickly as possible," said Marblehead Superintendent John Robidoux.

It'll be a big hit for students and families now forced to tackle the impact of a strike while trying to cheer on the teachers and staff.

"I know a lot of parents are scrambling, saying, 'What am I going to do?'" said Ali Church, who has four children in the district. "Everyone has to work."

There's no school on Monday because of the holiday, so the strike will begin on Tuesday, unless a deal can be reached before then.

Currently, state law prohibits public employees from striking, though the measure has become increasingly common for educators in recent years, with some districts, like Newton earlier this year, seeing disruptions lasting for days or even weeks.