Strike’s on in Brookline
Contract talks stall, school canceled today
All Brookline public schools will be closed today due to the teachers’ plan to strike after the union and School Committee failed to reach an agreement during a last-ditch mediation effort Sunday.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Linus Guillory said there “will simply not be the staffing capacity to operate all schools safely,” nor can the district “provide the structured education required by the state for the day to legally count as a school day.”
“I also understand that this juncture in negotiations is challenging and frustrating for all, and that closing school on Monday will be extremely difficult for students, caregivers, staff, and our community,” Guillory said.
The Brookline Educators Union said it “overwhelmingly voted” last Thursday to authorize a strike in the event that it failed to reach an agreement with the School Committee.
Following nearly nine hours of negotiations, which began Saturday night, and continued into the early hours Sunday morning, an agreement was not reached.
The sides held another negotiation session, facilitated by a state mediator, Sunday at 4 p.m., but by 7 p.m. an agreement had not been reached and the union notified the committee of its intention to strike, school officials said.
“Brookline educators have been working for nearly three years without a contract that addresses fair and reasonable compensation, as well as working conditions that meet the realities of a modern, comprehensive education,” the union said in a statement.
“Educators are simply fed up with the Brookline School Committee’s approach to bargaining, or rather its active avoidance of serious bargaining.”
The union said the School Committee refused educators’ demands for guaranteed daily, free preparation time; time for colleagues to collaborate weekly; and substantive action on attracting and retaining educators of color.
In a statement, the School Committee said the first weekend mediation session ended when an impasse was declared at 3:50 a.m. Sunday.
School Committee Chair David Pearlman said Monday’s strike will be the first official teachers strike in the district.
“Brookline has always been proud of its schools and its teachers,” said Pearlman. “The School Committee recognizes their service, but we also have to recognize the town’s financial situation.”
He said sanctions may be imposed on the union, per a preliminary injunction issued last Friday by Norfolk Superior Court, which prohibits educators “from striking or threatening to strike.”
The committee said its latest contract offer had included a 6% across-theboard retroactive raise for Sept. 1, 2020, to Aug. 31, 2023; an 8% raise for Sept. 1, 2023, to Aug. 30, 2026, with an additional 1% raise on Aug. 31, 2026. It also stated its commitment to staffing diversity initiatives.
A fifth mediation session will be held this evening, Guillory said, and additional school closures will be announced no later than 6 a.m. Tuesday.