Maura Healey gets in middle of Newton teachers’ strike: ‘Unacceptable’ school has been closed for 2 weeks

Gov. Maura Healey is jumping into the middle of the lengthy Newton teachers’ strike, threatening that a court may order a binding resolution if the teachers union and the School Committee don’t reach a deal by the end of Friday.

After 14 days of the strike and no school for two weeks, the Massachusetts governor and her administration on Thursday submitted a court filing in Middlesex Superior Court — asking for the court to turn to legally binding arbitration if the nasty dispute is not solved by 5 p.m. on Friday.

“It is unacceptable that school has been closed for two weeks in Newton due to the ongoing strike,” Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said in a statement.

“As a lifelong educator who began his career in the classroom 25 years ago, I am deeply appreciative of the work that our educators do and understand the constraints facing the school committee, but our students are suffering each day that Newton public schools are closed,” the secretary added. “Our focus is on keeping kids in school, making sure they receive a high-quality education and supporting our hardworking educators. We need our students back in the classroom now.”

The Newton Teachers Association has been getting fined tens of thousands of dollars for each day of the strike. That fine total hit $575,000 as of Thursday.

Negotiations have continued between the NTA and the Newton School Committee, but those negotiations have not resulted in an agreement to reopen Newton’s schools.

“The two parties have come to agreement on just about all the issues, except for one: the money,” Newton School Committee Chair Chris Brezski said at a Thursday press conference, as striking teachers could be heard rallying outside.

“We have given every resource to this contract that we can without harming students,” he later added.

The teachers union and School Committee were apart by about $1,000 to $3,000 when it comes to annual salaries, the chair said.

“The reason our kids remain out of school is that a teacher making $62,000 today will make $82,000 at the end of this contract, and not $83,000,” Brezski said.

“A teacher making $91,000 today will make $121,000 at the end of this contract, and not $123,000,” the chair added. “A teacher making $120,000 will make $135,000, and not $138,000. Paraprofessionals making $22.81 an hour will make $32.66, and not $35.18.”

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Later on Thursday, the union said it sent a new proposal to the School Committee — “our best yet” — that brought the two sides about $4 million apart over the duration of the contract. Previously, the sides were about $15 million apart.

“We think we’re close enough that it’s time for them to take it to a vote to the School Committee,” said Mike Zilles, president of the Newton Teachers Association, later adding, “The children need to get back to school, and I think the game of chicken really has to come to an end.”

At the governor’s request on Thursday, the Department of Labor Relations filed a court pleading that asks the court to hold twice daily status conferences between the union and School Committee.

“The Board requests that the Commonwealth’s Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, be allowed to participate in those hearings to speak to the educational harms faced by Newton students each day that Newton’s schools are closed,” the court filing reads. “Further, if an agreement is not reached by tomorrow (Friday) at 5:00 pm, the Board respectfully requests that the Court order binding arbitration.”

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