The Melrose School Committee met Tuesday night after teachers took to the streets Monday evening.
Teachers there have been working without a contract since June, and they want a new one. Starting Tuesday, they're putting the pressure on with a "work to rule" protest.
That basically means they will work their contractual hours, but not come in early and not stay late – as teachers so often do. It’s also a rolling protest, so it won’t be happening at every school every day.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
As for the contract sticking points, teachers say they’re pushing for more planning time, better working conditions and higher pay.
They rallied outside the city council meeting in Melrose Monday night. A night later, they attended the school committee meeting.
"In summary, we remain committed to settling contracts for teachers and paraprofessionals with an agreement that meets the needs of our students and educators. We know that our educational professionals have endured unforeseen challenges in the classroom over the past several years," Melrose School Committee Chair Jen McAndrew said in a statement Tuesday evening. "Teachers deserve a contract that recognizes their hard work, expertise and dedication to our kids. And we also have a responsibility to reflect the needs and fiscal realities of this city. We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement as soon as possible, and we look forward to our next session with the union tomorrow."
"I continue to be committed to arriving at fair contracts for all our employees, in keeping with my responsibility to submit balanced budgets and maintain the long-term financial health of Melrose," Mayor Paul Brodeur said in a statement.
Members of the Melrose Education Association said they’ve been negotiating since February and hope to avoid a strike, like what happened in Haverhill.
That’s why they’re trying to work this out now, before negotiations stall.
“There are quite a few outstanding issues, but really what it boils down to is fair compensation, to make sure our educators – both our teachers and our paraprofessionals are compensated adequately, fairly, comparable to surrounding districts," Melrose Education Association President Lisa Donovan said.
One fifth grade teacher said the whole ordeal has been frustrating.
“We’ve been negotiating for I think 137 days or more, we’ve been at least at the negotiation table for nine months and so the general consensus is we are frustrated," Jen O'Brien said.
The next negotiation session is schedule for Wednesday.
The mayor, superintendent and the school committee have not responded to a request for comment.
