Teachers in Beverly and Gloucester vote to strike

Teachers in two cities on the North Shore of Massachusetts announced Thursday that they had voted to go on strike.

The Union of Gloucester Educators and the Beverly Teachers Association say their members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the action.

The Gloucester union said on social media that over 98% of the district's educators voted to authorize the strike. Julia Brotherton, co-president of the Beverly Teachers Association, said at a press conference, that 99% of union members had approved a strike "effective immediately."

"Why did we vote to go on strike? None of us wants to do this, but at this point, we have no choice. Beverly schools are in crisis," Brotherton said.

She went on to say jobs often go unfilled because the district pays "poverty wages."

"Teachers and [paraprofessionals] are leaving Beverly for higher-paying jobs in neighboring communities like Danvers, Hamilton and Manchester," Brotherton said. "Inadequate parental leave policies force new parents to return to work before they're ready to devote themselves to teaching."

Brotherton added that behavioral problems have been an issue since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Gillnetter, Gloucester High School's student news site, reported that students walked out of class in support of their teachers.

"The raise we're looking for over the life of the contract is 18% to 25%," said Matthew Lewis, vice president of the Union of Gloucester Educators. "We're trying to set benchmark so Gloucester can be a beacon for educator pay in the North Shore."

In a statement Thursday, Gloucester School Committe Chair Kathleen Clancy said the union's proposals "are fiscally irresponsible and impractical," adding that that "accepting them would seriously risk tax hikes or service cuts for the district.

"Every day the strike continues, our most vulnerable students lack convenient access to warm meals, necessary continuation in education and critical mental health services," Clancy said. "This action will put many parents in the tough position where they will have to sacrifice working hours and wages. All of this is absolutely unacceptable."

"Negotiations are an exercise in give and take," Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga said. "They're meant to be collaborative, the goal should always be to find common ground and work together toward a solution."

The Beverly School Committee said schools would be closed as long as teachers remained on strike.

"While buildings are closed, the School Committee, in partnership with our school administrators, will provide box lunches for students that can be picked up at Beverly High School. Lunch will be available for pickup from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.," Rachael Abell, chair of the school committee, said in a statement.

"Earlier this week, I made a direct plea to members of the Beverly Teachers Association expressing my concerns about the impact that an illegal strike would have on our students, their families, and the entire community," Mayor Michael Cahill told NBC10 Boston in a statement. "I'm urging our educators to return to work and to allow negotiations to continue with the assistance of an independent, state-appointed mediator. The School Committee and BTA can come to an agreement that makes the market corrections we together seek without exceeding what's financially possible for our city and, importantly, without disrupting our students' education."