Healy signals no support for bill to allow teacher strikes

A push by the state’s teachers union to change the law and allow public educators to strike does not have the support of the governor.

“I’m not a fan,” Gov. Maura Healey said of legalizing teacher’s strikes.

Healey was speaking with WBZ’s Jon Keller when she was asked to reflect on the teacher’s strike in Woburn, which has had students out of school and educators on the picket line for a full week.

Under state law, teachers, along with other public employees, are not allowed to strike as a means of forcing contract concessions. Legislation has been filed that would amend the law to allow teachers to strike if they have been at contract negotiations for more than six months without reaching agreement.

Healey, who enjoyed broad support among the teacher’s unions during her campaign for the corner office, told Keller, due to concern for the needs of students, that she does not agree with the idea of allowing educators to walk off the job.

“I don’t.” she said. “I’ve come to this, Jon, as the proud daughter of educators. I think we should be doing everything we can to support our educators, particularly in this time and what so many have been through with COVID, a lot of strain on our educators, also a lot of strain on our kids and families. Every day when I see kids out of school because of a strike, my heart just breaks because kids have been through enough in terms of learning loss and the like,” she continued.

The governor seemed to indicate she would veto legislation allowing educators to legally strike if it hits her desk. The legislation sitting before the 193rd General Court currently has 10 cosponsors.

Teachers have been on out of their classrooms in Woburn since the start of the last school week.

The union has already, according to Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin, accrued over $90,000 in fines for their defiance of a Jan. 27 court order to return to work.

The Woburn Teachers Association, School Committee and mayor reached a tentative agreement on financial packages for teachers and paraprofessionals Friday night, only to hit an impasse after midnight over a requested payment of $250,000 which the union described as a “ransom” the mayor is demanding from educators to return to work.

Woburn’s strike comes following strikes in Brookline, Haverhill, and Malden.

PHOTO BY AMANDA SABGA — MEDIANEWS GROUP/BOSTON HERALD Gov. Maura Healey speaks to the press following the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2023 Pinnacle Awards, honoring powerful women changing Greater Boston through their different work, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport on January 27, 2023.