No school in Andover Tuesday as negotiations continue in teachers strike – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) – An Essex Superior Court judge ruled Monday that the Andover Education Association will face large fines for each day the illegal teachers strike continues as negotiators failed to reach a deal for the fourth day and classes remained canceled.

News of the ruling came after striking teachers in Andover made their voices heard , interrupting a planned school committee news conference on the same day that the Andover Public Schools asked a judge to order teachers back to work. The union announced around 9 p.m. that there would be no school Tuesday.

The judge’s ruling means the union will face a $50,000 fine for Monday and that figure will increase $10,000 a day for each day the strike carries on.

Members of the Andover Education Association voted on Friday to authorize a strike after months of negotiations with the Andover School Committee over a new contract. 

Schools closed on Friday due to the strike and closed again Monday as the strike continued. 

“What do we want?” said Andover teacher Frank McCall on Monday. “We want a fair contract.”

Shortly before 12 p.m., teachers chanted and held signs at High Plain Elementary School, where school committee members had planned to speak.

The school committee ended up postponing its scheduled availability for 90 minutes due to “safety concerns.” 

Speaking with reporters, union members said members of the school committee stayed out of view in a school library with police on hand.

“They were very scared of teachers and instructional assistants who want a fair, competitive cost of living adjustment,” said Julian DiGregorio of the Andover Education Association. “This is a very scary thing we’re doing.”

The strike in Andover includes some 800 union members. 

While the Andover Education Association admits this strike is illegal, members said they will stand strong for the community and for students.

“Time and time again, I’ve seen the school committee disrespect and undervalue our teachers and it’s about time that something changes,” said Andover High School Senior Nate Allen during a rally in support of striking educators.

The Andover Education Association is asking for a four year contract featuring an 18% raise for teachers and a 34% raise for instructional assistants, whose pay currently starts at only about $25,000 a year.

The school committee has offered teachers a 14.25% raise over four years and a 24.3% raise for their assistants. 

Negotiations appeared to be stalled early Monday afternoon, at least for the time being.

“We’re waiting for the union to respond to our last proposal, so the ball is in their court,” Andover School Committee Chair Tracey Spruce told reporters. “Negotiations can proceed once they respond to our proposal and we hope they will.”

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