Haverhill lecturers and the college committee have reached a tentative contract settlement, ending an almost week-long strike.
Despite canceling Friday lessons earlier than the late-Thursday-night settlement, the Haverhill School District posted that faculties can be open to college students the subsequent day after an settlement was reached round 11 p.m.
“Schools will be open TODAY October 21st 2022, and we encourage students to attend,” the college district introduced. “Unfortunately, due to the late hour of the agreement there will be NO bus service available. Students may report at any time tomorrow convenient to families.”
Students missed 4 days of lessons throughout the strike, and people can be made up on the finish of the college 12 months.
The Haverhill Education Association and Massachusetts Teachers Association had been additionally fined $50,000 plus a further $10,000 for every day on strike, per an Essex Superior Court order Wednesday.
Despite the implications, the lecturers acknowledged, this three-year contract is an enormous win for the district.
“With this contract, we won a financial package that represents a substantial investment in public schools, closing a damaging wage gap between Haverhill educators and educators in other districts,” stated HEA president Tim Briggs at a press convention. “We won language that addresses student safety. We won language to develop a more diverse teaching force. All of these are tremendous benefits to the 8,000 students in Haverhill public schools.”
The monetary bundle, negotiators acknowledged beforehand, is valued at about $25 million.
The college committee negotiators famous compromises, saying the monetary settlement was tempered to not put an “undue burden on taxpayers” and the protection settlement took under consideration pupil privateness issues.
Additionally, the committee acknowledged, the union will reimburse the town for prices incurred throughout the strike and fund a brand new scholarship program. Officials additionally dedicated to not taking punitive motion in opposition to lecturers who participated within the strike.
Pressure on metropolis negotiators reached a peak Thursday as picketers saved chants going outdoors Haverhill City Hall late into the night time and supporters barraged college committee members social media accounts and public contact info.
Following the settlement, the union profusely thanked the supporters — from dad and mom to politicians — for his or her help all through the strike.
“We are especially proud of the students who so eloquently and passionately spoke up for us,” an HEA assertion learn. “They continually reminded the dedicated educators of Haverhill what this contract campaign was all about.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”