Melrose Teachers Want New Contract

Teachers in Melrose, Massachusetts, took to the streets Monday night to rally for a new contract.

“The general consensus is we are frustrated,” said 5th grade teacher Jen O’Brien. “We want to see higher wages, we want to see more prep time.”

The contract expired in June.

Teachers are pushing for more planning time, better working conditions, and higher pay.

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“To make sure that our educators, both our teachers and our paraprofessionals, are compensated adequately, fairly, comparable to surrounding districts,” said Lisa Donovan, president of the Melrose Education Association.

Melrose isn’t the only district with issues concerning teacher contracts.

Just weeks ago, teachers in Malden and Haverhill both went on strike.

School is open for students Friday in Haverhill, Massachusetts for the first time all week, after the teachers' union and school committee reached a tentative agreement Thursday night.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association says several other districts are dealing with similar problems and the underlying theme is compensation for the pivot during Covid.

“They did heroic work during the pandemic and then are facing school committees who are offering unfair contract offers,” said Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “They’re saying enough is enough.”

After the rally outside city hall, teachers and parents expressed their frustration at the city council meeting.

A strike is not out of the question if a deal isn’t reached soon according to the union.

Teachers this week are also turning up the heat with a Work to Rule protest, meaning they’ll only work during school hours and thereby avoiding extra duties.

“I can’t tell you the amount of time we spend after school emailing parents, making copies, making sure the kids are ok,” said 2nd grade teacher Nicole Goodhue. “But that can’t happen right now until the city figures out the value that we have and actually pays us a fair and living wage.”