Teachers in Beverly and Gloucester have both overwhelmingly voted to go on strike, unions in both districts announced on Thursday.
At a press conference Thursday night, Beverly Teachers Association Co-President Julia Brotherton said nearly all of its members approved the strike “effectively immediately.” The Union of Gloucester Educators, which represents teachers and paraprofessionals, said more than 98 percent of educators there voted in favor of the strike.
Union of Gloucester Educators Vice President Matthew Lewis said they have been at the negotiating table with the district since March 2023.
“The paraprofessional contract has been expired for 496 days, and instead of doing any work to try and resolve the crisis, our school committee has decided to stall, stall and stall some more,” Lewis told GBH News. “The teachers have been without a contract since the start of this school year.”
Gloucester union members have been asking their school district for 10.5 weeks of paid parental leave, ten more minutes of preparation time and what they consider a 'living wage’ for paraprofessionals.
“My wife and I are expecting our first [child] in January,” Lewis said. “Paid parental leave would offer me the peace of mind to know that I can stay with my newborn during those critical early days, weeks and months of their birth.”
Beverly union members are also asking for higher starting salaries for paraprofessionals.
“Teachers and [paraprofessionals] are leaving Beverly for higher-paying jobs in neighboring communities like Danvers, Hamilton and Manchester,” Brotherton said, as first reported by NBC 10. “Inadequate parental leave policies force new parents to return to work before they’re ready to devote themselves to teaching.”
Beverly Public Schools paraprofessionals currently start at $20,000 per year and the union is seeking to increase that to $41,217 a year.
The Beverly Teachers Association is also asking for 12 weeks of paid parental leave, limits on high school class sizes and longer lunch and recess time for students in Kindergarten to fifth grade.
Lewis said that roughly 90 percent of Gloucester High School students walked out of class on Thursday to rally in support of educators.
Schools in Gloucester will be closed on Friday, and schools in Beverly will be closed through the duration of the strike.
Boxed lunches will be available for Beverly students to pick up between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM at Beverly High School while schools are closed.
“We will work with state officials to minimize the disruption to our students’ education and we urge all teachers and staff to return to school,” Beverly School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said in a statement. “We call on the BTA to end their illegal strike and join us in working with the mediator to negotiate in good faith.”
Gloucester Public Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
