Gloucester’s nearly 3,000 students will be back in class Monday with the end Friday of what was an illegal 15-day teacher and paraprofessional strike that saw schools closed for 10 days over the past three weeks.
The Union of Gloucester Educators, consisting of the Gloucester Teachers Association and the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals, and the School Committee came to a tentative agreement early Friday morning for successor collective bargaining agreements after two weeks of negotiations with an independent, state-appointed mediator.
kAmq@E9 F?:ED 925 366? H@C<:?8 F?56C 6IA:C65 4@?EC24ED 367@C6 E96 DEC:<6j E96 E62496CD’ F?:@? 4@?EC24E 6IA:C65 2E E96 6?5 @7 pF8FDE[ 2?5 E96 A2C2AC@76DD:@?2=D 925 366? H:E9@FE 2 ?6H 4@?EC24E 7@C >@C6 E92? d__ 52JD]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 A=62D65 E@ 2??@F?46 E92E E96 DEC:<6 😀 @G6C 2?5 D49@@= H:== C6DF>6 @? |@?52J[ }@G6>36C ad[” D2:5 E96 &?:@? @7 v=@F46DE6C t5F42E@CD 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E @? u2463@@<]k^Am
kAm“x =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ D66:?8 @FC DEF56?ED 2?5 65F42E@CD 324< 2E D49@@= @? |@?52J C625J E@ =62C? 2?5 E9C:G6[” D2:5 |2J@C vC68 ‘6C82 @? u2463@@<] “}@H H6 2C6 23=6 E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5 2?5 =@@< E@ E96 7FEFC6] x 2> 4@>>:EE65 E@ 3C:?8:?8 E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 324< E@86E96C — C63F:=5:?8 ECFDE 2?5 E96D6 :>A@CE2?E C6=2E:@?D9:AD]”k^Am
kAm“%@52J[ E96 &?:@? @7 v=@F46DE6C t5F42E@CD C624965 2 E6?E2E:G6 28C66>6?E 7@==@H:?8 `d 52JD @7 36:?8 @? E96 DEC:<6 =:?6[” D2:5 &?:@? @7 v=@F46DE6C t5F42E@CD r@\!C6D:56?E #2496= #6I[ DE2?5:?8 H:E9 2 4@FA=6 5@K6? E62496CD 2?5 A2C2AC@76DD:@?2=D @? uC:52J 27E6C?@@? @FED:56 E96 q=F6 r@==2C {@3DE6C 2?5 v=@F46DE6C w@FD6 #6DE2FC2?E H96C6 E96 :?:E:2= DEC:<6 G@E6 H2D E2<6? 3J >6>36CD @? }@G] f] “%96 4@?EC24E 92D C646?E=J 366? C2E:7:65 F?2?:>@FD=J 3J :ED >6>36CD[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmt5F42E@CD E@@< E@ E96 A:4<6E =:?6D @G6C :DDF6D DF49 2D 2 “=:G:?8 H286” 7@C A2C2AC@76DD:@?2=D[ H286 :?4C62D6D 7@C E62496CD[ 2?5 A2:5 72>:=J =62G6[ 2>@?8 >2?J @E96CD]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 $49@@= r@>>:EE66 2?5 E96 >2J@C H6C6 4@?46C?65 E96 65F42E@CD AC@A@D2=D H@F=5 DEC2:? 4:EJ 7:?2?46D 2?5 =625 E@ =2J@77D 3@E9 😕 E96 D49@@=D 2?5 H:E9:? E96 4:EJ 56A2CE>6?ED]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 A2C2AC@76DD:@?2=D >2J ?@E 92G6 C624965 E96 “=:G:?8 H286” E96J 925 366? 56>2?5:?8[ E96 F?:@? H:== 36 D66:?8 H286 :?4C62D6D C2?8:?8 7C@> c_T E@ ebT 5FC:?8 E96 =:76 @7 2 7:G6\J62C 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAm%96 H286 :?4C62D6 😕 5@==2CD C2?86D 7C@> S`_[cce E@ S`c[`_h 5FC:?8 E96 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAmxE >@G6D E@A 62C?6CD 7C@> Sae[`dd E@ Sbe[e__ 5FC:?8 E96 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAm!2C2AC@76DD:@?2=D H:== 2=D@ D66 2 @?6\E:>6 A2J>6?E 😕 D49@@= J62C a_ae E@ a_af @7 Sa[___]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H 4@?EC24E 4C62E6D 2 ?6H A2C6?E2= =62G6 36?67:E E92E 6?DFC6D 2== ?6H A2C6?ED H:== 92G6 2E =62DE D6G6? H66<D @7 A2:5 A2C6?E2= =62G6]k^Am
kAmu@C E62496CD[ H:E9 2 >2DE6C’D 568C66 2?5 23@G6[ H286 :?4C62D6D C2?86 7C@> `d]fT E@ be]dT @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 2 7@FC\J62C 4@?EC24E] x? 5@==2CD E92E 6BF2E6D E@ S`b[dee E@ Sag[gba @G6C 7@FC J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 H286 :?4C62D6 >@G6D E@A E62496C 62C?6CD 7C@> Shf[d__ E@ S“b[___[ 2 `d]gT :?4C62D6 @G6C 7@FC J62CD] %96 ?6H 4@?EC24E 2=D@ 4C62E6D E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 D6G6? H66<D A2:5 A2C6?E2= =62G6 7@C E62496CD[ H9:49 😀 2 4@>A=6E6=J ?6H 36?67:E E@ v=@F46DE6C !F3=:4 $49@@=D]k^Am
kAmtE92? u@C>2? >2J 36 4@?E24E65 2E hfg\efd\af`c[ @C 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i67@C>2?o?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>Qm67@C>2?o?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>k^2m]k^Am
