School Canceled In Andover As Teachers Strike Continues

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover School Committee and Andover Education Association (AEA) bargained throughout the weekend but failed to reach an agreement.

The sticking point, according to the teachers union, is raising instructional assistants' pay above "poverty wages" and addressing "fair raises for teachers."

The AEA's bargaining team was "infuriated" by the School Committee's counter proposal Sunday.

"The counter proposal was a devasting blow to our Instructional Assistants, who are left feeling disrespected and devalued by the employer," the AEA wrote.

The School Committee said that the AEA's proposal calls for a raise of 18% over four years for all teachers. The committee says that it cannot agree to the proposal "without the town overriding Proposition 2 ½ at a townwide election."

The School Committee said that the most recent AEA proposal's cost is $15.1 million, and the most recent School Committee offer's cost is $9.6 million, meaning the two sides are $5.5 million apart.

"We know teachers and staff want to be back in the classroom, and we want them back in the classroom with students," the School Committee said in a statement. "But we cannot responsibly approve a contract that ties the hands of the district and the town for years to come and requires both the district and the town to consider significant budget cuts that will negatively impact teachers, students, families, and other town residents."

The AEA said, "The committee will claim that it’s going up in its wage offers. But the committee’s proposal...necessitated educators giving up other elements of compensation, essentially asking us to self-fund a portion of our raises."

The union said the town is receiving more money each year from the state through the Student Opportunity Act, but the funds are not "finding their way into the schools."

The School Committee and the AEA have been bargaining since January without a resolution. The AEA's membership voted to strike Thursday.

The school district will take the teachers union to court Monday afternoon, according to Boston 25. The judge could start to impose a fine as teachers' strikes are illegal in Massachusetts.

The two sides will resume negotiations Monday.

AEA members will be on picket lines around town Monday morning and meeting for a brief solidarity rally at 11:30 on Town Common.