HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - Haverhill teachers and the city’s school committee have reached a tentative agreement, following a week of striking, picketing and court actions.
Both sides came out just before 11 p.m. Thursday night to sign the deal, reaching an agreement hours after it appeared the union and committee had hit another impasse earlier in the evening.
In what was almost literally an 11th hour deal, both sides moved forward at city hall with agreements on funding, school safety, diversifying the teaching force, and more.
The announcement came after hundreds of parents and teachers rallied outside of city hall, shouting disapproval after officials initially said negotiations had stalled again and that classes would be cancelled for Friday.
The mood completely reversed by the time representatives from both sides came out hours later for a news conference, during which they inked the tentative deal.
During the joint announcement, the parties thanked numerous individuals who assisted with the negotiations, including former Boston mayor and current U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
Classes are slated to happen tomorrow after all, though, with no bus service scheduled. Officials initially said there would still be no school despite the agreement being reached, but, later in the night, gave the update on classes being held.
(Copyright (c) 2022 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)