Dedham teachers end strike with tentative contract agreement
Courtesy | Dedham Public Schools
The state's first teacher strike in 12 years led to an almost immediate contract agreement after a 15-hour negotiating session this weekend.
Dedham teachers are back in the classroom on Monday morning, with a 4 p.m. vote planned to ratify a new contract agreed to after the Dedham Education Association launched a strike Friday. It's illegal for public workers to strike in Massachusetts, and a Norfolk Superior Court judge on Friday ordered the union to "cease and desist any and all unlawful striking activity."
In a statement, DEA president Tim Dwyer called the agreement "a major victory for Dedham educators and their students," and union bargaining team chair Rachel Dudley said the deal was worth fighting for, despite the state's strike ban.
"As we have been saying, educators' working conditions are students' learning conditions," she said. "DEA members stood up for their profession and for their students."
According to the union, the contract includes an overhaul of sexual harassment policies, up to 10 days of paid family and medical leave, new policies on the use of personal technology in classrooms and the changing of grades, no new restrictions on the use of personal days, no additional professional development days, and a "fair compensation package."
"We believe this agreement will fairly compensate our excellent educators while keeping our district on a positive path, with innovative policies that ensure a safe and supportive working environment, as well as budgets that are sustainable over time," Superintendent Michael Welch said in a statement.
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