Tewksbury Teachers Union Begins 'Work To Rule' Process

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury educators have been a "work to rule" process amid a breakdown in contract negotiations, the Tewksbury Teachers Association said Sunday.

The teachers union has been working with an expired contract since Sept. 1 and the School Committee recently opted to go to state mediation instead of remaining at the negotiating table, the union said.

In response, the teachers will "follow official working rules and hours exactly in order to reduce output and efficiency," the union said on Facebook. The union plans to follow a "tiered approach, working from least impactful to most impactful."

The "work to rule" process was approved by a vote at a membership meeting in Oct., Tewksbury Teachers Association President Conner Bourgoin said.

"At our October 27 all-member meeting, in which all aides and teachers were invited to discuss the most recent School Committee proposal (that the School Committee deemed its final offer before petitioning to mediation), 91% of rank-and-file teachers and aides voted to move into a work to rule," Bourgoin said.

The union said the "extra work" its members are not required to do include:

• "Substitute coverage
• Planning or chaperoning field trips
• Planning or chaperoning social events (dances, open-mic nights, etc.)
• Using forms of communication outside of phone calls or email"
• Offering more than 1 hour of extra help per week
• Responding to emails/phone calls outside of school hours
• Attending sporting events
• Private school/college recommendations"

"This can be a confusing time for members of our school community, so we hope you find the information attached here helpful in understanding work to rule as well as why we find it a necessary measure at this time," the district said. "While we are still not at privilege to share specific bargaining points from either party, we can share that we would not be enacting this process if we felt the school committee and administration were bargaining with respect and equity at the core of their decision-making."

Patch has reached out to the School Committee chairman and the superintendent for comment and will update this story with any responses.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.