A preliminary injunction was issued Tuesday ordering Haverhill teachers to end their strike, which has now forced the district to cancel classes for a third day. However it seems unlikely that the order will quiet them.
Teacher strikes in Haverhill and Malden, Massachusetts ended with varied results Monday, ranging from a tentative agreement to a court order and injunction.
There was no school for a second straight day in Haverhill on Tuesday, as teachers continue to strike over the lack of a contract agreement.
As striking Haverhill teachers and their supporters rallied in front of City Hall on Tuesday, a superior court judge ordered them back to work, again. The union ignored judge James Lang’s first order issued late Monday, and it’s likely they will ignore this one as well. The district has already canceled classes for Wednesday.
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"We’re going to bargain but we’re going to strike until we have a tentative agreement," Union vice president Barry Davis said earlier in the day. "At some point you have to make a choice between what is legal and what is right. And what is right is to stand up for this community. I will stand up for this community no matter what a judge tells me."
At a press conference Tuesday night, union officials said they thought they were close to a deal with the school committee, but felt that the offer wound up being essentially the same as what was presented Sunday night. Key issues of contention continue to be teacher and student safety and reporting guidelines and common planning time at the elementary and middle school level. Negotiations will continue Wednesday at 1 p.m.
The Haverhill Teachers Negotiating Committee also commented Tuesday night, and in it accused the union of twisting the truth.
"The Haverhill Negotiating Subcommittee spent more than four hours at the table today striving to reach an agreement with the HEA over a new contract. Most of the day was spent discussing contract language—very little time was spent today talking about our financial package," the statement read in part.
"While many are focused on portraying a false narrative regarding the negotiations, we remain focused solely on developing a resolution to the contract to get students back in the classroom and give teachers a fair, and fiscally responsible contract," it continued.
In Malden the situation played out differently. Malden Public Schools were back in session Tuesday after a one-day strike led to a tentative deal between the teachers’ union and school committee there.
“We’re pleased with the tentative agreement and what it will mean for members and also what it will mean for our students," Malden Education Association President Deb Gesualdo said.
In Haverhill the two sides seem even further apart than they were when the strike started, with the school committee going to court to try to get teachers back in the classroom and threatening layoffs.
“The ball is really in their court," Haverhill School Committee member Paul Magliocchetti said Monday. "We've moved considerably from where we were initially.”
Haverhill High’s lead school adjustment counselor and bargaining team member Sarah Gauvin said that has simply not been true.
Gauvin said negotiations lasted less than two hours Monday with a mediator, and she said the teachers’ union is the only one that actually put together a package proposal to try to come to terms on a deal.
“We continue to be told that they aren’t available to bargain, they’re refusing to meet in person, they’re saying they have to work," Gauvin said. "Guess what, friends -- we also have to work."
While the district insists the sticking point is salary increases, the teachers disagree.
They said while it would be nice to get more than the 0% raises they’ve seen in several past years, they really need to see improvements in student and staff safety, class sizes and racial equity.
“It’s a career where you don’t get into it if you’re looking to get rich. Really, it’s far from it -- it’s a career where you get into it because you do it for the kids," Haverhill High math teacher Chuck Luongo said,
The school committee and the union's bargaining committee were tentatively scheduled to meet again virtually on Tuesday afternoon.
There are about 8,000 students in Haverhill's public schools.
