Beverly Teachers Strike: Union Urges Recall Of Mayor, School Committee
UPDATED 1 p.m.
BEVERLY, MA — The Beverly Teachers Association delivered a "recall" petition for Mayor Michael Cahill and School Committee members to City Hall on Friday and demanded their resignations if they do not "start bargaining in good faith and make a real effort to reopen schools."
The BTA announced its recall petition ahead of a Friday news conference following what leaders said was an "insulting proposal" put forth to it on Thursday.
The BTA's recall petitions also included School Committee members Jeffrey Silva and Chair Rachael Abell.
"We are calling on Mayor Cahill, President Abell and Jeffrey Silva to resign immediately unless they can settle contracts with us today," BTA co-President Julia Brotherton said on Friday afternoon.
Beverly schools were closed for a fifth straight day on Friday after teachers voted to go on strike last week two months after their previous collective bargaining agreement expired.
An Essex County Superior Court judge this week issued a $50,000 fine to the BTA for being in contempt of the state law making public sector union strikes illegal. The escalating fine is set to increase by $10,000 per day of school that is missed because of the work stoppage.
"Mayor Cahill, Jeff Silva and the school committee are wasting our time, wasting our taxpayer's money, and hurting our student's education," said Brotherton and Andrea Sherman, co-presidents of the BTA. "They need to start acting with urgency to reopen schools, or they need to resign from their positions."
Patch reached out to Mayor Cahill and Abell about the recall petition but did not immediately get a response. This story will be updated with any reaction from the mayor or School Committee members.
The BTA said on Friday it had "put forward many contract proposals" to secure a new deal that includes a "living wage" for paraprofessionals, paid family leave, and a "better environment for students with longer lunch and recess."
BTA leaders said Thursday night they made what they thought were concessions but the response from the School Committee was "regressive" and included retreating from the progress they thought had already been made.
"We know that our strike did not send a strong enough message," Sherman said. "So here we are on the steps of City Hall doing whatever it takes to get our schools to reopen and get back with the kids who we love."
On Wednesday, Abell urged teachers to return to the classroom while negotiations for a new contract continued.
"While some progress has been made, the BTA has remained uncompromising in its financial demands and it is clear that the BTA's strike is not working as a means for the parties to reach an agreement," Abell said in her latest community update. "Should BTA members choose to return to the classroom tomorrow we would continue negotiations every afternoon this week with a mutually agreed upon schedule."
Abell said in a previous update that the sides were about $14.4 million apart on wages and costs involved with the union demands.
She said on Wednesday that "some progress has been made" and that the School Committee remains committed to "finalizing a fair contract for educators."
"The strike has caused enough harm," Abell said. "It is time to get our students and our staff back in their learning environments while we work together to finalize the contract our hardworking educators deserve."
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at X/Twitter:
