Two Massachusetts teachers’ unions declare illegal strikes

Two local teachers’ unions have voted to strike, even though it’s harmful to students and illegal in Massachusetts.

The Beverly Teachers Association (BTA) and the Union of Gloucester Educators (UCE) – whose cities are just 15 miles apart – both voted to strike on Thursday.

The BTA is asking for 12 weeks of paid parental leave, high school class size limits, and longer lunch and recess periods for K-5 students. The UCE is likewise asking for 12 weeks of paid parental leave, as well as an increase in sick leave, “space” for students with behavioral issues or emotional dysregulation to go when removed from the classroom, higher pay for paraprofessionals, and more paid prep time for teachers.

Since these demands haven’t been met, the teachers have agreed to strike, leaving 7,400 students in the lurch.  

Neither school board supported the unions’ decision to strike.  

“It is unfortunate that the Beverly Teachers Association intends to take this step, particularly given that the state has just recently appointed a mediator to help us reach a compromise,” said Rachael Abell, Beverly’s school board chair. “We are urging the BTA to allow that mediator to get their work off the ground and entrust them to help us come to mutual agreement that does not require any disruption to student learning.”  

Kathleen Clancy, chair of the Gloucester school committee, concurred, noting the union’s strike was against the law.  

“Teachers are essential employees who our children depend on for learning and safety during the school day,” she said. “An illegal labor action will cause direct harm to students by forcing many to stay home without a parent or guardian able to care for them, removing access to mental health service options, and limiting students’ abilities to secure warm meals.”  

In fact, most states, including Massachusetts, already outlaw union strikes. As of 2018, just 15 out of 50 either permit them or have no explicit policy.  

BTA and UCE are well aware their actions are illegal.  

On Friday, BTA was required by the state Employment Relations Board to inform its members of the Massachusetts law prohibiting strikes – though it seems unlikely to obey.  

Daniel Suhr, an attorney who represents families in lawsuits against teachers’ unions, explained to The Lion why states forbid strikes.  

“Multiple academic studies demonstrate that they negatively impact students’ learning and social/emotional well-being,” Suhr said. “They also leave parents scrambling as schools shut down, sometimes for weeks, causing anxiety and disruption across an entire community.

“Parents saw first-hand what happened when COVID shut down their schools, and they do not want to live through that again because unions are willing to break the law in their quest for higher salaries or so-called ‘social justice’ agendas.” 

Even when unions face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for defying the law, it can still be financially worthwhile to strike.  

“The price of an illegal strike to a union is often negated by the financial gains these unions will see by taking a percentage of increased teacher wages,” Ashley Varner, vice president of Communication and Federal Affairs at the Freedom Foundation, previously told The Lion. “Strikes like this show exactly why unions got into this business to begin with.  

“It isn’t to improve education or to help children. It’s money.”