Newton schools closed for eighth day due to ongoing strike
By Haley Clough
This Tuesday marks the eighth day of a strike in Newton, Massachusetts, held by the Newton Teachers Association. The strike, ongoing since the end of 2022, is in response to the district’s unwillingness to agree to pay raises proposed by the union.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
The strike was voted into effect on January 18, leaving classes in the Newton Public Schools to be canceled every day since then. 1,641 voted in favor, which was the overwhelming majority, according to the union president Mike Zilles.
The Commonwealth Employment Relations Board filed an injunction against the union on the first day of the strike, imposing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines against the union every day the strike continues.
In addition to the original injunction, many Newton community members, particularly parents, have taken issue with the methodology of the union, questioning how this will impact the students. One particular Newton family took their concerns to the Middlesex Superior Court this Monday, with several other families voicing or writing in favor of the family’s pursuit of filing an injunction. Mother of three, Lital Asher-Dotan, cites the Massachusetts Constitution and claims the strike impedes on her children’s right to education.
The Newton Teachers Association continues to pursue closing the $20 million dollar gap in budget proposals between the union and the Newton School Committee as of Monday.
Committee Chair Chris Brezski told NBC Boston that “there’s no need [for the strike]. Kids should be back in school.”
It is estimated that the strike will cost the district $290,000 in salaries, with payments made to police, special education students, legal costs, and resources for student meals and accessibility, according to Boston.com.
The Newton School District is not the first to strike in Massachusetts, but is among one of the largest of the state’s districts, with approximately 12,000 students currently out of school for the foreseeable future as negotiations continue.