MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead teachers appear no closer to a new collective-bargaining agreement as they once again headed back to the classrooms on Wednesday without a deal.
The Marblehead Education Association and Marblehead School Committee Bargaining Sub-committee met on Tuesday for the 11th time with the School Committee saying the sides remain apart on both the parameters of a proposed School Safety Committee and wage increases.
“The Sub-Committee provided a revised proposal for the establishment of a School Safety Committee,” the School Committee said in a statement provided by Committee member Sarah Fox. “The Sub-Committee’s proposal included equal membership representation from school
administration and all staff areas. In response, the union reaffirmed its initial position despite the administration’s explanation that the Union’s proposal may likely violate student privacy.”
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The School Committee proposal would include the superintendent and MEA president (or one of the co-presidents) as the chairs of the committee made up of 10 school officials and 10 members of the MEA. The committee would meet at least twice a year outside of school hours with the opportunity to meet more frequently if warranted.
One issue, it appears, is how binding the will of the joint committee — specifically that of the MEA members — would be on school policy decisions.
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Fox’s statement said wages remain another major issue with the MEA requesting an increase that would amount to 40 percent over the next three years, which the School Committee has argued is infeasible considering the town’s structural budget deficit and the absence of public support to approve in a Proposition 2 1/2 tax override.
The School Committee attempted two overrides in the past three years — the first specific to the school budget and the second as part of a general town override — that both failed a townwide vote. School and town officials opted not to attempt a third straight override this past spring.
“The Marblehead School Committee deeply values all of its employees, students and community and will continue to commit the time necessary to reach a fair contract and is committed to balancing that with the fiscal reality of the town of Marblehead,” the Bargaining Sub-Committee said.
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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