MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - Teachers in Melrose have been rallying for change in their school district as they push for a new contract, staging rallies outside of schools and school hours.
Educators gathered outside of the high school Tuesday morning before the start of classes as they continue to call for fair wages and for the school district to invest more money in classroom infrastructure and supplies.
The gathering took place after educators interrupted a city council meeting the night before – all after months of negotiations. The teachers, as well as educators from Malden, Haverhill and other districts, also stood in solidarity outside city hall, stating that theirs’s is a 24-hour job and that they deserved to be compensated accordingly.
“Our working conditions have been terrible for years,” Robert Jackson, a Melrose Middle School teacher, told 7NEWS. “We felt pushed down, abused for years and enough is enough. We’re all coming together to show that we are ready for whatever step is necessary to move us in the right direction.”
Jackson said his colleagues have been asking for a new contract since February, but that they do not feel confident they will get what they are asking for. They have said until negotiations for a new contract are finalized, they will be taking work-to-rule action – only taking on work that is directly mandated in their expired contract.
Meanwhile, Melrose School Committee Chair Jen McAndrew has said the two sides have been making progress in negotiations, though the work-to-rule action was a disappointment.
“I’m disappointed by the work-to-rule action and concerned about the potential impact on our school community,” McAndrew said in a statement. “And, at the same time, the Committee remains fully committed to working with the MEA to settle contracts for our teachers and paraprofessionals.”
The teachers have said educators from each school in the district are slated to rally on different days before and after school hours until a new agreement is reached.
“I’m hoping that this does show strength and that it will help us move our contract to a place where we can settle it,” said Melrose teacher, Amy Colby.
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