Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Newton teachers go on strike, canceling school Friday
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
If residents on the South Shore and Cape Cod were feeling FOMO over missing the snow earlier this month, I have good news: it’s your turn.
While everyone north of Boston can probably keep the plows in the garage, today’s storm is expected to drop a few inches of snow in southeastern Massachusetts. Click here for the map of expected snow totals and WBUR meteorologist Danielle Noyes’ full forecast on the weekend’s frigid weather.
Now, to the news:
There’s no school today in Newton: And it’s not because of the weather. Newton public school teachers are officially on strike, after over a year of unsuccessful contract talks and mounting frustration with Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. The city is the largest Bay State community to have a teachers strike since Quincy in 2007. According to Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles, 98% percent of the union’s members voted in favor of the strike yesterday.
- What does the strike mean for students? Consider today a snow day. All Newton public schools will be closed until the strike ends. Sports and other school-related activities are also postponed. The district is offering grab-and-go meals that students can pick up at Newton’s high schools, as well as METCO headquarters in Boston.
- What is the strike over? Wages are the big issue. Fuller’s office argues Newton teacher salaries are competitive and that the city can’t afford much more after a tax override vote was defeated last year. The School Committee’s latest contract offer includes annual raises of over 6% for half of the city’s teachers (those early in their careers) over the next three years. But the NTA says the overall salaries would still lag behind fellow affluent Boston-area suburbs, especially for more tenured teachers. (This chart shows the gap between the two sides’ proposals.)
- Zoom out: Teacher strikes (as with all public employee strikes) are illegal in Massachusetts. And until recently, they were rare. But the last two years have seen a half-dozen teacher strikes across the state — all of which led to new contracts. Union leaders say that they’ve found the brief disruption and fines “worth it.”
And now we wait: Massachusetts’ State Ballot Commission is taking a little time to decide whether it even has the authority to remove Donald Trump’s name from the Massachusetts Republican primary and general election ballots. After hearing opposing arguments yesterday, the commission has until Monday to announce its decision.
- The argument for: Labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan argued the 14th Amendment to the Constitution deems Trump ineligible to serve as president because of his role in the Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol. “The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has made clear [that] only candidates who are eligible to serve in office may be placed on a Massachusetts ballot,” she said.
- The argument against: Marc Salinas, a North Andover lawyer for the Trump campaign, said Trump should be on the ballot, regardless of the constitutional debate. “When the state committee places you on the ballot, the secretary of state is required to put you on the ballot, regardless of qualification,” Salinas argued.
Last call for your 28-3 jokes: Bill Belichick will reportedly have a second interview for the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job this weekend. And while Belichick isn’t the only candidate being considered, at least one NFL insider expects him to get the gig.
- In other sports news: Olympic gold medalist and Needham native Aly Raisman is joining ESPN as a college gymnastics analyst.
P.S.— A Boston-based app will soon be shut down by Uber. Do you know which one it is? Then take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week’s stories compared to other WBUR readers!
