Education

Marblehead, Beverly educators end weeks-long strike

Students will be back in school in the three North Shore communities on Wednesday after more than two weeks of educators being on strike.

Marblehead High School teachers at a rally in front of the High School. (Jonathan Wiggs /Globe Staff)

November 26, 2024

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The teacher strikes in Marblehead and Beverly ended Tuesday night after educators and School Committees in both districts reached contract agreements the day following a court-ordered deadline.

In Marblehead, school will be back in session on Wednesday, which will be an early release day before the Thanksgiving holiday break, as scheduled. Beverly schools also have a scheduled early release.

Marblehead began their strike the weekend after Veteran Day’s, following the lead of unions in Beverly and Gloucester who took to the picket line the previous Friday. Gloucester teachers ended their strike last week.

The Beverly strike was the longest in recent state history. Beverly students missed 12 days, while Marblehead students missed 11 days of school.

Marblehead gets 12 weeks paid parental leave, joint safety committee

The Marblehead Education Association and the School Committee announced the tentative agreement in a joint statement on Facebook around 7 p.m. The MEA did not elaborate on the proposed contract.

“Both the School Committee and the Association recognize the stress and hardship caused to our students and families during the school closures and we are committed to ensuring that the reopening of our schools will be a positive experience for our students,” the statement said.

Like educators in their neighboring districts, Marblehead educators were fighting for increased wages for teachers and paraprofessionals and improved paid parental leave benefits. MEA President Jonathan Heller said at a press conference Tuesday that the contract increased pay for educators, improved parental leave, and prioritized school safety.

According to contract agreements, teachers will see salary increases between 2 and 3 percent annually during the life of the three-year contract. Under the new contract, the School Committee and the union will establish a joint committee on school safety, and teachers will have paid parental leave up to 12 weeks.

“Tomorrow marks a change in the right direction for our schools,” Heller said.

School Committee and Marblehead officials said at a press conference that teachers accepted their proposed contract from Sunday. They called on the town to vote to approve a Proposition 2 1/2 override at upcoming Town Meetings.

“We are going to have some work to do in our community to fund this new contract,” School Committee Chair Jennifer Schaeffner said. “We’re going to need you to come out when it comes time for raising awareness around funding in May.”

Beverly teachers sign contract late Tuesday night

The Beverly teachers strike ended after the union and School Committee “reached an agreement,” the Beverly Teachers Association said around 9:30 p.m. on Facebook. City and district officials did not officially comment on the end of the strike Tuesday night.

The union also shared videos of their leadership signing the contract and joining an auditorium of cheering educators singing along to “We Are the Champions.”

No other details about the contract were immediately available.