MARBLEHEAD — The Marblehead School Committee and the Marblehead Education Association (MEA) did not come to an agreement on a new contract over the course of the long weekend resulting in a carried out strike by the MEA. Tuesday, Nov. 12 was the first day of the strike with no school and no sports or any other extracurricular activities.
While the MEA was ready to begin negotiations early on Tuesday, the School Committee was not as they held a press conference at 11:00 a.m. to address all media. A negotiation meeting was held at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
The press conference held by the School Committee addressed the strike status, contract negotiations, and any other updates as mediation entered its third day. A number of MEA members were in attendance to hear what the School Committee had to say.
The School Committee and the MEA met last Friday and Saturday, and on Monday, though it was said by the MEA that a meeting had been scheduled for last Sunday as well. When asked about the meeting, School Committee chair Jenn Schaeffner commented that there was no meeting scheduled and the mediator needed to review the high volume of material received from both parties. In the midst of this comment, frustrated members of the MEA began to shout aloud “that’s a lie” and “we were there, they’re lying.”
Bargaining co-chair and longtime Marblehead educator Michael Giardi explained the confusion surrounding the Sunday meeting after the School Committee wrapped up their press conference. Giardi stated that on Saturday, the School Committee was ordered to the bargaining table on Sunday, but told the mediator they were unavailable. This resulted in the mediator also not being in attendance of the meeting and there being no written record.
Giardi further added that on Monday night at approximately 8:30 p.m., the School Committee decided to leave negotiations. This confirmed to all educators the conflict would not be resolved and students would begin to miss school.
As for the sports and extracurriculars, Schaeffner stated, “he has our support for that,” regarding the decision by interim superintendent John Robidoux to cancel all extracurriculars. Many parents throughout the town feel as though their children are being used as pawns, suffering consequences for a situation they have no involvement in. It has even been reported that some parents have decided to file for injunction in hopes to have all extracurriculars continue.
Towards the end of the press conference, town administrator Thatcher Kezer said “we did not create this situation, the Union created it by taking an illegal strike, so the blames not on us.” Almost every member of the MEA that was present was visibly disturbed by this comment as it insinuates the School Committee is taking no responsibility for the current state of Marblehead Public Schools.
After the press conference, a sheet of paper was passed out comparing the MEA and School Committee’s proposals. Marblehead High School social worker and parent, Alison Carey, explained that some of the proposals that are stated to be agreed upon, in fact have not been. For the ones that are agreed upon, they are tentative agreements, as they have not been signed to paper by both parties.
Carey also stated that the MEA has only received rejections from the School Committee. The MEA had also been told that the School Committee would not continue to work towards progress without addressing the wages, which the MEA believes to be extortion.
Approximately a half hour after both press conferences were finished, the MEA headed to Seaside Park to hold their scheduled rally. Hundreds of students, educators, and community members came in support of their educators.
There were multiple speakers at the rally, some students and some teachers or coaches. One student speaker was a junior cross country athlete at the high school. He shared that the team this year is truly historic, and that this past weekend they had become division two state champions. They are looking forward to bringing their talents to the All-States on Saturday, Nov. 11, but with the current stoppage of sports, it may be at risk.
Twenty-six year Marblehead coach and teacher Michael Lavender further pressed the issue behind the cancellation of sports and extracurriculars. Lavender stated that both the football and cross country teams have a good chance to win a state title. Currently they face the potential of having to forfeit their races and games. It was also mentioned that the chorus has raised over eight thousand dollars to attend two professional shows on Friday, Nov. 15, but now they’ve been canceled.
These are once in a lifetime opportunities for these students who, some, have worked their whole lives for. School days can be made up, but playoff games, championship games, and events cannot be.
The MEA held a press conference at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday alerting the public that they had not come to a full agreement, and negotiations were still going on. They also mentioned that the superintendent had called all faculty and students at 6:00 p.m. to announce there would be no school or extracurriculars on Wednesday. This sent a message to the MEA that the School Committee was not willing to come to an agreement Tuesday night.
However, later that night at 9:00 p.m., the School Committee sent out a press release stating that progress had been made in two areas. They had made tentative agreements on teacher work year and tuition reimbursements. They stated that would be the final communication for the day, but negotiations were still ongoing.
The School Committee and the MEA will continue to negotiate daily until an agreement is reached that will return students to the classrooms. Until then, the MEA will be making their voices heard throughout the town of Marblehead.
