MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - Educators in Melrose are preparing to strike as the teachers union continues to negotiate for a new contract with the school committee.
Teachers say they’ve been negotiating for months before better pay and better working conditions but that those talks have gone nowhere. The school committee says it has made multiple offers and they’ve all been rejected.
Another rally is planned for Sunday in the park across the street from the high school. The union has voted to strike beginning Tuesday if a new contract agreement isn’t reached.
In a statement, Melrose Education Association President Lisa Donovan said, “The inadequate pay and working conditions that Melrose educators are currently subjected to have led to a staffing shortage that has strained the ability to meet the needs of all students … Our educators, students, families, and community deserve better.’
The Melrose School Committee said, “It understands the frustration being experience by the Melrose community … To say that we are also frustrated would be an understatement. We’ve made many generous and fair offers that have been rejected.”
According to the most recent state data, the average teacher salary in Massachusetts in $84,638. In Melrose, the average teacher salary is $69,025. The school committee’s most recent offer included an 8.5% raise over three years with regular wage adjustments.
The Melrose Superintendent’s Office, meanwhile, said, “If an illegal strike by the MEA appears likely, the School Committee and the Superintendent will have no choice but to close schools for students only when the strike occurs including all after-school programs, extracurricular activities, and athletics … We realize this uncertainty presents significant challenges for students and families, and we share your frustration.”
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