With a teachers strike shutting public schools for a third day in Newton, Massachusetts, the local library was packed with families looking for something to do to keep kids occupied.
More than 12,000 students were missing out on classes again, all over a long-unresolved dispute between teachers, seeking higher wages and better benefits, and the city, which says it can't afford the demands.
"The musical is in like a week and we are not prepared, and if we don't have school it will be a complete disaster," seventh-grader Arianna Puppin said.
Public employees aren't legally allowed to strike in Massachusetts, and the Newton Teachers Association faces a hefty fine for every day they remain on the picket line, but it hasn't deterred them — in a lot of cases, those fines are waived once a deal is reached.
That's why Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, D-Somerville, has proposed a bill that would legalize strikes for public employees after six months of good faith negotiations. For context, bargaining over a new teachers contract in Newton Public Schools has stretched over a year.
Uyterhoeven told NBC10 Boston it would cut down on stalling tactics and "ensure these strikes become less and less frequent."
Newton's strike will last at least another day, with the two sides failing to reach an agreement by 7:30 p.m., forcing parents to find alternative plans for their kids on Wednesday as classes are canceled again.
