The Marblehead School Committee and the Marblehead Education Association (MEA) did not reach an agreement on a new contract over the long weekend, resulting in a strike by the MEA. Tuesday, Nov. 12, marked the first day of the strike, with no school, sports, or extracurricular activities.
While the MEA was ready to begin negotiations early Tuesday, the School Committee did not meet with them until a press conference was held at 11 a.m. to address the media. A negotiation session took place at 3 p.m. later that day.
During the press conference, the School Committee discussed the status of the strike, contract negotiations, and updates as mediation entered its third day. Several MEA members were in attendance to hear the School Committee’s remarks.
The School Committee and the MEA met on Friday, Nov. 8, Saturday, Nov. 9, and Monday, Nov. 11. The MEA also claimed there had been a meeting scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10. When asked about the meeting, School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner stated that no meeting had been scheduled and that the mediator needed time to review the large volume of material from both parties. During this comment, some MEA members began shouting, “That’s a lie,” and “We were there, they’re lying.”
Bargaining co-chair and longtime Marblehead educator Michael Giardi explained the confusion about the Sunday meeting after the press conference. Giardi said that on Saturday, the School Committee was ordered to the bargaining table for Sunday but told the mediator they were unavailable. As a result, the mediator did not attend the meeting, and there was no written record of it.
Giardi further added that on Monday night, around 8:30 p.m., the School Committee decided to leave negotiations. This signaled to educators that the conflict would not be resolved, and students would begin to miss school.
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 blame’s not on us.” Almost every MEA member present appeared visibly disturbed by this comment, which implied the School Committee was not taking responsibility for the current situation in Marblehead Public Schools.
After the press conference, a sheet comparing the MEA and School Committee’s proposals was distributed. Marblehead High School social worker and parent Alison Carey explained that some proposals listed as agreed upon had not, in fact, been finalized. The agreements were tentative because they had not been signed by both parties.
Carey also stated that the MEA had only received rejections from the School Committee. The MEA was also told that the School Committee would not continue negotiating without addressing wages, which the MEA believes amounts to extortion.
About 30 minutes after the press conferences concluded, the MEA headed to Seaside Park for their scheduled rally. Hundreds of students, educators, and community members came out in support of the educators.
Several speakers, including students, teachers, and coaches, shared emotional and compelling stories about the Marblehead School District. The rally provided a variety of perspectives, helping the community understand the impact of the lack of a new contract agreement on different departments.
At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the MEA held another press conference to announce that no agreement had been reached after the afternoon’s negotiation session. They also noted that at 6:00 p.m., Superintendent John Robidoux had called all faculty and students to announce there would be no school or extracurricular activities on Wednesday, Nov. 13. This signaled to the MEA that the School Committee was not willing to come to an agreement on Tuesday night.
The School Committee and the MEA will continue to negotiate daily until an agreement is reached and students can return to the classroom. Until then, the MEA will continue to make their voices heard throughout Marblehead.
