North Shore schools close after teachers vote to go on strike, break Massachusetts law

Students will be out of the classroom in two Massachusetts school districts on Friday after teachers in a pair of North Shore communities voted to go on strike.

Teacher unions in Beverly and Gloucester voted overwhelmingly Thursday to authorize a strike amid ongoing contract negotiations with their respective school committees.

The Beverly School Committee is allowing athletics, theater and band rehearsals, and field trips to continue for as long as the dispute persists, while all school-related activities in Gloucester will be shut down, per district officials.

“None of us wants to do this, but at this point, we have no choice,” Beverly Teachers Association co-president Julia Brotherton said at a press conference Thursday evening. “Beverly schools are in crisis. Critical paraprofessional positions regularly go unfilled because the city pays only poverty wages.”

The Beverly School Committee filed a petition with the state Department of Labor Relations earlier this week “to dissuade educators from a strike vote,” Chairwoman Rachael Abell wrote in a letter to the community.

“We want to make it clear that the School Committee does not condone the illegal actions of the BTA,” Abell wrote. “We will work with state officials to minimize the disruption to our students’ education and we urge all teachers and staff to return to school. We call on the BTA to end their illegal strike and join us in working with the mediator to negotiate in good faith.”

Gloucester High School students walked out of class Thursday “to demonstrate support for their educators,” the student newspaper, The Gillnetter, reported. Roughly 98% of educators voted to go on strike, the union stated.

Gloucester School Committee Chairwoman Kathleen Clancy also slammed teachers in her district for deciding to skip class for the picket line, saying the committee has asked the state Department of Labor Relations to halt the strike.

“Teachers are essential employees who our children depend on for learning and safety during the school day,” Clancy wrote. “An illegal labor action will cause direct harm to students by forcing many to stay home without a parent or guardian able to care for them, removing access to mental health service options, and limiting students’ abilities to secure warm meals.”