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."
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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.
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 said, adding that the "AEA will continue to bargain for the contract we deserve and that supports our work."
"They have decided to close the schools," union president Matt Bach said of the school committee. "They have decided that the difference between our proposal and their proposal, which is about $260,000, is a bridge too far for them."
The educators union rejected the school committee's offer after hours over negotiations over the weekend, but they say the second offer they received was hardly any different from the first.
"We’re deeply disappointed and we feel that this is not a serious negotiation," Bach added.
The union approved the strike during an emergency meeting Thursday night, canceling classes for an estimated 5,500 students. 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.
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, but the district still won't budge.
"This is just a joke. They want to punish the community and they want to punish us," union vice president Julian Digloria said.
Andover's school committee said in a statement that if they accepted the union's wage proposals, the budget would be unsustainable and result in layoffs. They also say the district would have to consider bringing back bus fees and reduce athletics and art programs.
The teachers say those are just scare tactics, and they are not backing down.
"There's no place we’d rather be tomorrow morning than in the classrooms, we want to be with our kids," one teacher said. "This was not a choice for us."
"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."
In the meantime, those 5,500 public school students are still waiting, and this is really tough for parents, too. The district says it will still be providing breakfast and lunch for students. The town is also organizing activities during the day.
It is illegal for teachers to strike in Massachusetts, so a judge could order teachers back to class, but this group has made it clear -- they will not go until the school committee is willing to negotiate.
Both sides will be back at the bargaining table at 10 a.m. Monday.
