Newton teachers will face more fines if strike continues beyond weekend
NEWTON - A Middlesex Superior Court judge says he will impose additional fines on striking Newton teachers by 8:00 p.m. Sunday if no agreement on a contract is reached over the weekend.
Judge Christopher Barry-Smith says he's concerned the fines already imposed have not been effective. "What I hope not to hear from one side or the other is that we're going to ride this out because we're counting on the fines," said Judge Barry-Smith.
He also says if coercive fines keep escalating, they could "undermine the collective bargaining that's supposed to be the solution."
Saying he'll now slow things down, the judge will impose another $50,000 Sunday on top of the $375,000 already imposed. And if the strike continues into next week, he could impose another $50,000 a day, though added he could reconsider that amount.
Judge Barry-Smith looked for evidence of good faith bargaining and there was finger pointing on both sides.
"There hasn't been really meaningful coming to the table with sincere intent to reach an agreement which is what case standards say," said attorney Laurie Houle, representing the Newton Teachers Association.
Attorney Jennifer King, representing the Newton School Committee said, "it is not mutually exclusive for us to have teachers in the building while bargaining takes place."
But teachers say they won't return to the classroom without an agreement, and while attorneys say there has been some progress, big ticket items that involve money, including salaries and cost of living increases, remain far apart.
As striking teachers rallied Friday on the sixth day without classes, a group of frustrated parents has now circulated a letter to all sides saying students are experiencing pandemic-like challenges and urge an agreement.
"Children's interests have been subordinated in the fog of war and need to 'win'," they wrote in the letter.
Attorneys for the city believe union fines should be punitive not coercive, claiming the fines haven't worked because teachers have been able to raise money through donations to help them.
