A judge has ordered teachers in Newton, Massachusetts, to pay additional fines if they are still on strike Sunday night.
The Newton Teachers Association has been on strike for six days as they push for stipulations like better pay, increased parental leave and counselors in every school.
At Middlesex Superior Court Friday, a judge said the union will face another $50,000 in fines if they are still on the picket line at 8 p.m. Sunday. The amount is in addition to the $375,000 in fines they are already facing.
Teachers in Newton said the fines do not deter them.
"We are not backing down. They are deliberately stalling, thinking they can wait us out, and they are wrong," teacher Denise Cremin said.
The fines are not an empty threat. The teachers union in Haverhill had to pay $110,000 in fines after its four-day strike in 2022. It also had to reimburse the city $200,000 for resources like police details.
"Fortunately, we had the money, and it was worth it because of what it did for our public schools here in Haverhill," said Barry Davis, head of the Haverhill Educators Association.
Mary Tamer, the Massachusetts director of Democrats for Education Reform, questions if it is worth it for the community.
"I think the community needs to find out what exactly is going to happen to my teacher's school if the teachers get what they want. What cuts are going to be made to programs and staffing," Tamer said.
In Andover, teacher layoffs are being considered after a strike there last year. In Newton, officials are already warning about higher classes. Teachers said cuts have already been happening without them having a contract in place, and at the very least, they deserve fair negotiations.
"They won't even give us counterproposals," Cremin said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in Newton, Massachusetts, including students, parents and teachers, showed up in the rain Friday for a rally on the steps of City Hall — shouting out their support for the striking teachers.
The school committee chair said they had smaller group meetings Thursday morning that were productive before the formal negotiation sessions completely broke down.
He said the mediator doesn't even have the two sides meeting face-to-face anymore.
With six days of no school, the frustration among students and parents is growing.
But they said they want to see compromise from the mayor and school committee to end this strike.
"I think Mayor [Ruthanne] Fuller and the school committee just need to negotiate with the NTA. I've been keeping up with all the posts, so I know that the mayor is not in the negotiating room, nor has she been present to anyone except the cameras, so that's been a little disappointing," said Phoebe Anthony, a Newton South senior and one of the organizers of the rally.
"Parents support Newton teachers, full stop. We're not going to lose patience. I'm out here because I'm encouraging the school committee to agree to open bargaining and let the contract negotiations air live on Zoom," said Lindsey Gulden, Newton middle school parent.
