Teachers and their supporters marched Monday in Newton, Massachusetts, to push for a new contract.
Hundreds of people took part in the rally. The president of the Newton Teachers Association says educators have been without a contract since Sept. 1, and negotiations have been underway for a year.
STAY IN THE KNOW
 |
Watch NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
 |
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. |
Marchers headed to the city's Education Center to deliver a petition signed by more than 1,800 people.
"They are unwilling to pay reasonable cost of living increases," said Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles. "We've been bargaining for increased mental health support in the buildings."
Get top local stories in Boston delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Boston's News Headlines newsletter.
Gabriela Morales, a special education teaching assistant who works with fifth-grade students who need a lot of support academically and behaviorally, took part in the rally.
"It's very difficult," she said. "A lot of energy goes into it, mentally and physically."
But she says she’s working two jobs to make ends meet.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
"We literally are there supporting our teachers, our classroom teachers," she said. "We're here to fight and to make sure we're given a fair income for living conditions."
Members of the school committee say while Newton is somewhere in the middle when it comes to entry-level pay for teaching assistants, it is substantially ahead when it comes to the top of their pay scales in what are called "steps," or years of experience with the district.
School committee members also pointed out that the union's requests come with a price tag around $57 million and would require an annual increase in the budget at 6%.
The committee's vice chair says part of the negotiation involves raising wages for lower-paid employees like paraprofessionals and educational support staff.
