Swampscott Teachers' Contract Talks Fall Apart

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Public Schools will file for mediation after contract negotiations with the union representing teachers broke down Friday afternoon. Superintendent Pamela Angelakis said the union arrived at Friday's bargaining session and asked to increase the size of its bargaining team by as many as 40 members.

"This was not only an unorthodox, if not unheard of tactic, but was done after previously rejecting the School District’s offer at the last bargaining session to hold a negotiation session that would be open to the public," Angelakis said. "The School Committee’s bargaining team has decided that they will now file for mediation since we feel that a neutral 3rd party mediator will be the most productive and efficient way to help both parties achieve their mutual goal of reaching a new contract that is fair and equitable for all concerned."

The Swampscott Education Association, however, said Angelakis and the school committee members "walked out of the room before the SEA could even present their new counter proposals." SEA said the administration had previously said the union could have more members participate in the negotiations.

"Their interactions were unprofessional," said Rebecca Bucklin, the vice president of the SEA and chair of the bargaining team. "I’ve been on three negotiation teams over my 20 years in Swampscott. I am saddened and distressed by the unwillingness of the town to talk."

“They had invited our members to take part in the process,” said SEA President Nancy Hanlon. “We were trying to take them up on their offer. It was stunning to see their reaction.”

The Department of Labor Relations would need to approve the request for mediation.

“Mediation is for when we are at an impasse," SEA President Nancy Hanlon said. "We are clearly not at an impasse. We were about to present a proposal which moved a little closer to the School Committee’s proposal, but they would not even let us present it."

SEA said it is requesting a 3 percent cost of living increase as part of the three-year deal, but the administration is only offering one percent after initially offering no cost of living increase.

Hanlon was suspended last week. The union claims the suspension was retaliation for her role in the contract talks. Angelakis has denied the allegation but declined to say why Hanlon was suspended, citing a district policy on keeping personnel matters confidential.