Judge orders Newton teachers back to work

By adamg on Fri, 01/19/2024 - 10:06pm

Fig City News posts a copy of the preliminary injunction a judge in Middlesex Superior Court issued today ordering teachers to return to the classroom on Monday, telling their union to publicly declare the walkout over by 3 p.m. on Sunday and mandating that both the union and school officials get back to the bargaining table for some "good faith" negotiating.

Judge Christopher Barry-Smith did not set down the amount of any fines should the teachers not show up at school on Monday.

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Comments

This strike is wrong.

By Cutter on Sat, 01/20/2024 - 12:54pm.

I know everyone roots for teachers, but I think that, like other public employees, they should only strike in the most extreme circumstances, and these aren't that.
Newton teachers average about $100k per year, their workplaces are safe and well resourced.
They may have all kinds of legitimate concerns but they don't justify shutting down schools.

Per The Friday globe article,

By pcannon on Sat, 01/20/2024 - 8:37pm.

Per The Friday globe article, Newton teachers average $93K (20-21 data).

I don't pretend to be fluent in the specific details here, but the Newton Teachers Association has been open about the issue here: Newton has raised the "floor" for starting teachers, but grossly lags behind in paying teachers who stick around. The longer an employee stays with the district, the less they make relative to their peers.

Newton doesn't need to be the best paying district, but a wealthy town that runs a $40 million budget surplus sure as hell doesn't need to be at the bottom -- especially in one of the most expensive towns in Massachusetts to live in. The numbers in the Newton Teachers letter above seem pretty obvious that this isn't outside of Newton's reach, the School Committee is just trying to nickel and dime teachers who stick around.

If you want to go teach Newton kids for nearly a decade just to crack $100K, in a city where the average housing price is such that 100% of your salary can't even make a mortgage payment there, go apply!

$40M surplus

By Just walkin' on Sat, 01/20/2024 - 10:06pm.

The $40M surplus thing is a bit of a red herring. There is money in Newton's free cash account as the result of an Eversource real estate court settlement that just came through. Many municipalities benefited from it. It is one time money, not a structural surplus.

Newton's schools and school buildings (and lots other departments) have a structural deficit from decades of underfunding. They need sustained funding. The question is how to stretch this windfall out until Newton meets its pension funding liabilities in the early '30s.

Mayor Fuller said

By Matt on Sun, 01/21/2024 - 8:08am.

Just give me a 2 1/2 override and we can do this. Meaning, it’s the voters.

Override would need to happen first

By BostonDog on Sun, 01/21/2024 - 8:59am.

It would be irresponsible to sign a contract expecting an override to be proposed and passed.