Andover Teachers Union Protests Stalled Contract Negotiations

ANDOVER, MA — Members of the Andover Education Association will kick off a labor action in protest for a "fair and just contract."

The union has been negotiating since January for "a living wage for their instructional assistants, longer student lunch and recess to align with CDC recommendations, and ending the Lucy Calkins literacy program (which has been dissolved by Columbia University)."

The Andover School Committee released a statement Wednesday that said they had offered "an increased compensation package."

Among the terms of the offer, the School Committee said it would include a 9.65% pay increase over three years and a 9.5% increase in stipends over three years. The School Committee's offer also removed step 2 of the salary and included "a one-time $2,000 increase in the top step in the Masters Degree +75 credits lane."

However, on Wednesday, the Andover Education Association wrote on Facebook: "After offering teachers yet another substandard cost of living adjustment, the school committee walked away from the bargaining table this evening. As such, the expanded bargaining team unanimously voted to enact work to rule, which will begin this Friday."

The labor action was scheduled for Friday morning at Andover High School.

The "work-to-rule" action approved by the union's membership means that educators "may cease all services that are not customarily performed by educators generally. You may see educators doing weekly stand outs before and after school."

“None of us want to do work-to-rule,” middle school teacher Julian DiGloria said in a statement. “Just like they have repeatedly ignored concerns from parents, the Andover School Committee is not listening to the concerns of educators, leaving us no choice."

The union has filed a complaint with the state’s Department of Labor Relations, claiming that the School Committee’s bargaining team refused to negotiate Wednesday.

The teachers union in North Andover is facing similar circumstances. Educators are working under a contract that expired Sept. 1.

See related: North Andover Teachers Working Under Expired Contract