Students in Andover, Massachusetts, will not have classes again on Monday after their teachers voted to go on strike over pay last week.
The Andover Education Association and School Committee were back at the bargaining table Sunday at the town offices but were unable to come to terms on a new contract.
"The Andover School Committee made no effort to reopen schools as the contract proposal offered to the striking Andover Education Association failed to achieve our goals of raising instructional assistants above poverty wages or address fair raises for teachers," the teachers union said in a statement Sunday night. "The School Committee claimed it was making its 'last best offer' and was willing to close schools if the AEA rejected it."
The teachers union said earlier Sunday that they submitted their proposal at 12:30 p.m. and were waiting to hear back from the district on whether or not they could hash out a contract that would bring them back to the classroom at the start of the school week.
The union claimed Sunday night that the school committee made them wait more than five hours for a counterproposal and then mediators began their presentation by saying "You are not going to like what we have to say.”
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"The counter proposal was a devastating blow to our Instructional Assistants, who are left feeling disrespected and devalued by the employer," the teachers union said in a statement Sunday night. "The counter proposal to teachers was roundly rejected by the educators observing the bargaining as silent representatives.
The union also alleges that the school committee is paying thousands of dollars to a public relations firm hired to manage its message during its crisis and hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawyers who benefit more the longer these negotiations drag on.
The union says teachers will be back on picket lines around town Monday morning, meeting for a brief solidarity rally at 11:30 a.m. on the town common, the union says, adding that the "AEA will continue to bargain for the contract we deserve and that supports our work."
The picket lines started Friday and continued throughout the weekend. More than 700 teachers in Andover say they're fighting for what they believe is a fair contract.
The union decided to strike during an emergency meeting Thursday night, canceling classes for an estimated 5,500 students.
One of the biggest sticking points has been pay increases. They say they made a major concession Sunday -- they're now asking for a 16-percent raise over four years, instead of three years as initially proposed. They say that would lessen the financial impact to the town.
"I know my kids want to be in school tomorrow and I want to be in school with them," said Andover teacher Lauren McCaron. "I'm a teacher. My job is to be in a classroom with my students. My students are my passion."
"It's extremely difficult. It’s a disruption not just for the schools but for the lives of all the people you see here," said union president Matt Bach, "and it is their passion, it is their work. They're devoted to it but that passion should not be exploited."
It is illegal for teachers to strike in Massachusetts, so a judge could order teachers back to class on Monday, but this group has made it clear -- they will not go until the school committee is willing to negotiate.
