Newton Public Schools canceled classes for a second day in a row on Tuesday as teachers in the district continued to strike over stalled contract negotiations.
“I understand how difficult this uncertainty is for our families and our students. We continue to hope for a quick resolution so that our students can return to our classrooms,” Newton Public Schools Director of Communications Julie McDonough said in an email Monday night.
The Newton Teachers Association and the Newton School Committee again failed to reach agreement on a new contract Monday night, the district said in an email. Negotiations have now been going on for over a year, and the union’s old contract expired in August.
The union said previously that the sticking points in the negotiations are over increased teacher pay and hiring more support staff and social workers, which it believes the city has “more than enough money” to fund. Its members have said they believe the school district has been repeatedly underfunded under the leadership of Newton Mayor Ruthann Fuller.
“We understand that this is a disruption but we believe that a short term disruption in order to secure the long-term educational excellence as well as value and respect that the educators of Newton public schools need and deserve is worth it,” union representative Ashley Raven said previously.
Fuller said previously that she believes the district needs increased funding and that she has been working with district administrators to make this happen, but that she disagrees with the strike.
It is illegal for teachers to walk off the job in Massachusetts, but in recent years, several teachers unions in municipalities such as Andover, Malden, Brookline, Woburn and Haverhill have done so anyway.
A Middlesex Superior Court judge granted an injunction against the union Friday, ordering them to return to work on Monday, but the union defied the order, opening up the possibility that it could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
According to WCVB, a judge ruled Monday that the union would be fined $25,000 if it continued the strike on Tuesday, and that fines would double each day the strike continues.
While Newton Public Schools are closed, all school activities are cancelled, but the district is provided grab and go breakfast and lunch for its students, according to an email from the district. Students can also access medical supplies from the school if need be by contacting their principal.
