BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP/WHDH) — Hundreds of public school teachers in a wealthy Boston suburb went on strike Monday after contract negotiations with school officials stalled early Sunday.
The Brookline Educators Union bargained for nearly nine hours with the Brookline School Committee before reaching an impasse just before 4 a.m. Sunday, the union said in a statement.
The union said it pared down its list of demands to the “bare essentials” yet school officials haven’t properly addressed teachers’ demands for planning and prep time and “substantive action” on attracting and retaining educators of color.
“Brookline educators can no longer tolerate the School Committee’s dismissive attitude toward educators or its willingness to dismantle the quality of our schools,” the union said in the statement.
The Brookline School Committee said in a statement on Sunday its offer to the union included a 6% pay increase from 2020-2023 followed by an 8% raise from 2023-2026. The board also said it made proposals to address the union’s diversity and planning time demands.
The committee said classes will not be in session Monday because there is not enough staff to safely operate schools. It’s not yet clear if schools will reopen Tuesday.
Unionized teachers voted to authorize a strike last week. But the school committee said a preliminary injunction issued Friday in Norfolk County Superior Court prohibits it.
The union and committee plan to meet again Monday night to continue contract negotiations.
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