Teachers seeking raise attend Marblehead school board

MARBLEHEAD-The School Committee had guests at their last meeting of 2009 – an estimated 50 schoolteachers who wanted to reinforce their demands for a fair salary increase in teacher collective bargaining that has already gone 12 months without a contract.Newly-elected Marblehead Education President Mary Miles read a brief statement, pointing out that the town is asking teachers to change their health insurance to a program that will save the town $1.1 million in the first year.?To that end, we are asking for a salary increase that is fair,” she said. Her statement received prolonged applause from the teachers present.Miles, a six-grade teacher at the Marblehead Village School, declined to elaborate on her statement as she left the meeting.Since 2001, teachers and the town have faced an uphill road reaching agreement on a contract as the town struggled to fund raises for the 200-member bargaining unit without requiring an override, with state aid unreliable during the period.In their previous negotiations in 2005-2006 teachers struggled to negotiate a COLA (cost of living adjustment) and in March 2006, their sixth month of negotiating, they voted not to participate in out-of-school activities, working only in their schools from 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. and temporarily putting a possible end to proms and class trips.Two contracts were settled within a month, a one-year pact and a three-year contract, which ended June 30. The combined raises for all four years equaled 10 percent.Asked for comment after the committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac said, “I think the School Committee is negotiating in good faith.”