ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - The state labor board ruled that Andover teachers engaged in an unlawful strike when they refused to go inside school buildings at the start of their 10-day professional development period last week.
Some teachers could be seen sitting outside in lawn chairs and on blankets with laptops in hand as opposed to entering the buildings for training on Aug. 31.
The teachers had said that they wanted to negotiate health and safety benchmarks, including upgrades to HVAC systems and other working conditions amid the ongoing pandemic.
They agreed to go inside the buildings the following day after the Andover School Committee asked the Department of Labor Relations Commonwealth Employment Relations Board to investigate the work stoppage.
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the department wrote that the Andover Education Association did not cite legislation or any other pre-existing agreement that allowed them to choose where they worked.
They ordered the union to immediately end any strike.
Shannon Scully, chairperson of the Andover School Committee, said in a statement, “We are grateful for the CERB’s consideration and timely decision. We recognize this case has implications for public school districts across the Commonwealth and their efforts to provide students with in-person instruction during this unprecedented time. We are fortunate to have so many talented educators in Andover and we are pleased they have returned to work focused on important preparation to welcome students back to school next week.”
Andover is slated to begin the new school year on Sept. 16 with a hybrid learning model, which includes a mix of in-person and remote instruction.
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