Marblehead Teachers Strike: 'No More Games' As Strike Cancels 3rd Day

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead Education Association co-President Jonathan Heller said expected court-imposed fines beginning on Thursday will not deter the union from pressing for a new contract he said must include "modern and humane paid parental leave," "livable wages" and "safe schools" for teachers to return to the classrooms.

Heller said during a press conference about an hour after families were notified that the strike would cost a third day of school on Thursday that the School Committee was unresponsive to a "huge movement" on behalf of the MEA on a custodian deal on Wednesday, and that with a unified campaign, he believes voters would approve the scope of property tax override necessary to fund the union contract demands.

"The town wants high-quality schools," he said. "It can afford high-quality schools. It cannot afford the crisis within our schools to go unaddressed."

• Marblehead Teachers Strike: School Canceled For 3rd Day Thursday

The School Committee announced Thursday: "In order for families to plan child care and make necessary arrangements, the superintendent notified families at 6 p.m. tonight that school will be closed tomorrow due to the illegal strike."

Public sector union strikes are illegal in Massachusetts with the MEA facing escalating fines and other penalties the longer it continues.

Heller said during his news conference he expected those fines to begin on Thursday but "we'll deal with that after" and accused the town of using the fines to "punish" educators for fighting for what they consider to be a fair contract.

• Marblehead Teachers Strike: School Closures 'Deeply Disappointing'

"The School Committee says they want to bargain but offered nothing new," Heller said. "They did not offer a single response to us today.

"We are here to bargain in good faith. The School Committee is not."

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said at a news conference on Tuesday that the the town's current proposal to the MEA would already require a property tax override to fund but if that override does not pass — the town has voted down general tax override ballot initiatives decisively in both 2022 and 2023 — the necessary service cuts would be "manageable."

• Marblehead Teachers Strike: Union Proposal Called 'Unaffordable' As Strike Looms

He said under the latest MEA proposal a $7.5 million override would be required and that its potential lack of passage would "decimate the school system." School Committee member Sarah Fox previously said the sides were about $5 million apart in contract proposals.

School Committee Chair Jennifer Schaeffner said late Tuesday night the sides did agree on two bargaining points regarding increased tuition reimbursements and the school calendar, but allowed during the news conference that the sides were still "far apart" on wage proposals.

Heller said on Wednesday those items were previously agreed to and not necessarily a sign of significant progress in the negotiations.

"Too small," Heller said. "But it's a step forward."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)