Teachers Go 'Work to Rule' in Fight Over Schedule

Working without a new contract since August of 2010, the Andover Education Association recently voted to go work to rule, meaning that Andover teachers won’t do anything voluntary other than what’s required in the contract.

Last week, the work to rule went into effect. However, Andover School Committee chairman Annie Gilbert said that teachers are free to abide by the rule or not.

“Each teacher can choose to what extent they want to participate,” said Gilbert.

Teachers are not required to give recommendation letters for college and that is a large issue as far as the decision to go work to rule, said Gilbert.

“Teachers have the voluntary choice to choose to write them or not,” said Gilbert.

The Andover Education Association bargaining unit began negotiations with the town in June of 2010. While the contract expired two months later in August 2010, Gilbert said that the stipulations of the old contract still stand.

Teachers are not getting cost of living increases in their pay but are still receiving any education and step-related pay increases.

Gilbert said that the high school schedule is the most contentious issue in the road to a new teachers' union contract.

The president of the AEA Kerry Costello did not immediately return a call for comment.