Massachusetts
Why it's illegal for teachers to strike in Mass. (and why they're doing it anyway)
The Newton teachers strike has dragged on into a 10th day of closed schools even though such strikes are illegal in Massachusetts. As a result, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) owes nearly $600,000 in fines as of Thursday and will owe $50,000 more each day the strike continues.
While the NTA’s strike over failed contract negotiations is reported to be the longest strike the state has seen since the 1990s, it is not an anomaly. In recent years, teachers’ unions in Andover, Malden, Brookline, Woburn and Haverhill in similar collective bargaining ruts have organized strikes and faced fines.
- Read more: Striking Newton teacher hospitalized after hit by car near union rally spot
Even so, the highest dollar amount leveled against any of them was $110,000, and that was against the Haverhill teachers union, according to The Boston Globe. Thus, both the length of the strike and the fines against the NTA are unprecedented in Massachusetts as of the 21st century.
Here’s a breakdown of the issue:
What the law says about teacher strikes
The law that makes it illegal for Massachusetts public school teachers to strike does not single out teachers.
A part of Massachusetts General Laws, the relevant section reads: “No public employee or employee organization shall engage in a strike, and no public employee or employee organization shall induce, encourage or condone any strike, work stoppage, slowdown or withholding of services by such public employees.”
This is the norm across the country, with only 13 states allowing public school teachers to strike, according to EducationWeek.
- Read more: Newton teachers strike fines approach $600K as school canceled for 10th day
The law that made public employee strikes illegal was passed in 1973, according to The Boston Globe. But making public employee strikes illegal was just one part of the law.
Overall, the law wasn’t a loss for unions — it was a boon, Massachusetts Association of School Committees Executive Director Glenn Koocher told MassLive. Public employees had the right to unionize before the law, but the legislation formalized the collective bargaining process, as well as the process of forming a union.
“It created a framework under which collective bargaining could go on, so then everyone could begin to organize,” he said.
What happens if teachers strike anyway?
When a union representing public school teachers implements a strike, to take action against them, a school district must ask the state’s employee relations board to determine whether a strike is actually happening. If the board determines a strike is happening, it then asks a judge to order them back to work, and the order is typically granted.
If the union doesn’t stop striking after it is ordered to by a judge, the judge can hold it in contempt of the court order and implement fines as he or she sees fit. Importantly though, the judge is supposed to consider many factors when deciding how punitive the fines will be, such as whether the school district is bargaining in good faith, according to The Boston Globe.
- Read more: Dropkick Murphys cover pro-union song in support of striking Newton teachers
In recent years, fines are the only punishment teachers’ unions have faced for striking, Koocher said. Even so, a judge is permitted to implement other sanctions against them.
In the 1970s, the leaders of the teachers’ unions were often jailed for weeks during strikes, according to The Boston Globe. In one case in 1977, about 80 Franklin teachers were jailed during a two-week strike.
Why the state has a stake in prohibiting public employee strikes
When public employees go on strike, there’s no one to provide vital services, such as policing or firefighting, Koocher said. In the case of teachers’ strikes, children may be left at home alone if parents cannot arrange for supervision during school hours.
The students can also experience learning loss ahead of important tests, Koocher said. “If you’ve been out of school for two weeks during the prime learning period, you’re not going to get to a lot of the material that is being tested.”
- Read more: National Education Association president cheers on striking Newton teachers
Additionally, under state law, school districts are required to provide students with 180 days of school by June 30. If a strike goes on too long, the district may need to extend the school year into July, but that can only happen if the state education department grants a waiver.
Why teachers choose to strike anyway
Teachers strike when they feel they have no other way of getting municipal leaders to address important issues affecting the school district, Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) President Max Page said. In the case of the recent strikes, the unions had been negotiating a new contract for months or even years because district leaders weren’t agreeing to some of the unions’ core demands.
“In Newton, it’s been 16 months of negotiations. That’s far, far too long to actually just settle a contract,” he said. “They felt like they did not have a fair bargaining partner.”
- Read more: 5 things to know about the monetary impact of the Newton teachers’ strike
Page also pointed out that the MTA has 400 local chapters, and of those, only six have gone on strike in the past few years. Furthermore, most of those strikes resulted in the parties resolving the contract disagreements within a few days, he said.
“It’s an extreme action that members never imagine taking,” Page said. “But clearly, some members, in overwhelming numbers, decided ‘This is what we have to do to have the schools that our students deserve.’”
Ultimately, while a strike may negatively impact students, the teachers feel that the short-term loss is acceptable if it leads to the district implementing changes that will impact the long-term success of the students, Page said. One example of this is the NTA refusing to compromise on the issue of hiring a social worker for every school in the Newton school district.
Why have there been more teacher strikes in Massachusetts lately?
Teachers have felt the need for change in their districts more urgently as society has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and the learning loss and the toll on students’ social and emotional well-being has been realized, Page said. It’s one reason longstanding issues such as better compensation for educational support staff have been coming to the forefront of contract negotiations, he said.
“There’s been a feeling that the educators worked heroically, risking their own lives and making sure that students can continue their education. And so, they have, perhaps, less patience for not addressing the issues that they consider so important for their school,” Page said.
- Read more: Newton teachers’ strike closes schools for 9th straight day
But Koocher pointed out that the strikes coincide with a resurgence of union power across the country in recent years. Union leadership in general has become more aggressive, he said.
How the law could change
The MTA has backed a bill that would make strikes legal for public sector employees after six months of negotiations, with the exception of public safety employees.
“I believe that there needs to be a level playing field between labor and management,” state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, D-27th Middlesex, a co-sponsor of the bill, told Boston.com. “To me, this fundamental right not existing in the public sector results in these really challenging circumstances that we’re finding ourselves in today.”
- Read more: Newton teachers’ strike update: City Council prez claims ‘considerable progress’
But many stakeholders don’t support this change. Teachers’ unions should not use striking as a means of getting officials to capitulate to their demands, Boston University Joshua Goodman told BU Today. Instead, those changes should be implemented through the democratic process, and unions can make that happen by convincing communities to elect public officials who support their positions, he said.
Additionally, Gov. Maura Healey told WBZ-TV last year that she doesn’t support legalizing teacher strikes. While she empathizes with the teachers, she said it’s “paramount” that children remain in school.
BankFive has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts for the third consecutive year.
The recognition comes from The Women’s Edge, a nonprofit organization that supports women leaders, according to a community announcement.
The Top 100 Women-Led Businesses list is based on factors such as company revenue, workplace diversity, innovation and customer benefits.
“It’s an incredible honor to once again be recognized among so many exceptional women-led organizations,” Anne Tangen, president and CEO of BankFive, said in the announcement. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire team, whose commitment to our customers and communities continues to drive BankFive’s success and positive impact. At BankFive, our mission has always been to empower our employees, support our customers, and strengthen the communities we serve, and this honor reinforces the importance of that work.”
This past year, BankFive celebrated its 170th anniversary with a multi-million dollar renovation of its new Main Street headquarters in Fall River. The bank also announced a new financial literacy program, FiveSense.
The organizations that received the award were honored at The Women’s Edge and the Boston Globe Magazine’s annual awards breakfast Oct. 24 in Boston. The 100 companies on the list represent a combined total of $141 billion in revenue and operating budgets.
The Women’s Edge is a nonprofit organization that aims to help women leaders achieve personal and professional success and make a positive impact within their businesses and communities.
To learn more about the bank, visit bankfive.com.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
The GOP’s Mike Kennealy is polling ahead of his two rivals in the race against Gov. Maura Healey in next year’s election, but it’s too early to take a victory lap with many voters still on the sidelines.
Kennealy holds 44% of the vote over primary opponents Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Minogue, both sitting at 13%. More than half of the would-be Republican or Independent voters in the poll, however, said they don’t know enough about the candidates to pick a side.
The Kennealy campaign is celebrating the UMass poll, released this week, as Shortsleeve questions the survey’s credibility, and Minogue points to donations as a stronger indicator of how Bay State Republicans are leaning a year out from the election.
UMass pollsters surveyed 800 respondents, with 416 Democrats and 183 Republicans or pure independents. Healey, the Democrat incumbent, leads each of the three GOP candidates by at least 21%.
“This poll confirms what we have been hearing in every corner of the Commonwealth: voters recognize that Mike Kennealy is the only candidate prepared to take on Maura Healey in 2026 and deliver real results,” Kennealy campaign manager Ben Hincher said in a statement.
“Mike will lower energy costs for Massachusetts families, cut taxes and burdensome regulations, audit the legislature, end sanctuary state policies, restore excellence in our schools, and return common sense to state government.”
Roughly a third of the respondents voting in a preview of the Republican primary stated that they were “not too familiar” with Kennealy, Shortsleeve and Minogue, and 19% “not familiar at all” with the GOP candidates.
Kennealy, a former housing and economic development secretary in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, first entered the race in April. Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist who ran the MBTA under Baker, followed behind, announcing his campaign in May.
Minogue, a major donor to President Trump and former CEO of heart-pump maker Abiomed Inc., jumped into the race last month.
In an email to supporters, Jim Barnett, general consultant for the Shortsleeve campaign, said the poll shouldn’t be taken seriously. He argued that the survey of Republican and Independent voters of the GOP candidates lacks credibility, with the rigor being “embarrassingly shallow,” and that the results “should have never been released.”
Barnett suggested that general election results, which pit Shortsleeve as the closest opponent individually to Healey over Kennealy and Minogue, are “far more credible.”
“Those toplines align with historic partisan margins at this stage of a campaign and other independent polling,” Barnett stated. “In contrast, the ‘Republican primary’ subsample lacks proper screening, weighting, and mathematical coherence, making it unfit for analysis or reporting.”
After Minogue announced his campaign in October, the South Hamilton resident received a $1.8 million first-month haul, nearly matching what Kennealy has raised and loaned himself during his months-long run since the spring.
Shortsleeve has raised just over $1 million.
“Mike is incredibly grateful for the support his campaign is seeing across Massachusetts with hundreds of volunteers and twice as many donors as the rest of the Republican field,” a Minogue campaign spokesperson told the Herald. “In just 21 days, he’s already passing lifetime politicians who’ve been in the race for more than half a year. People are ready for a new kind of leadership focused on accountability, affordability, and opportunity for every family in our state.”
Massachusetts
Ten high school sports takeaways on a night that saw shootouts, hat tricks, and upsets shake up the postseason – The Boston Globe
And while Hopkinton’s and Franklin’s shootout wins were thrilling, they paled compared to Martha’s Vineyard, which went 24 rounds with North Reading before Ava Townes delivered on her third attempt.
All told, Wednesday’s themes were shootouts and hat tricks.
Cambridge boys’ soccer defeated Lexington, 2-1, in a shootout, as did Mashpee, which topped Leicester on Mathias Ramirez’s shootout save.
The night also saw no less than 14 players record hat tricks, with Sutton senior Ava Magnuson leading the way with a five-goal performance. Abington’s Nathan Calcano and Central Catholic’s Lucy Irwin both found the net four times, while Norwell’s Bret Amorosino, Sandwich’s Quinn Anderson, Lynnfield’s Kaylee Barrett, Oliver Ames’s Sabrina Fabrizio, Mansfield’s Aly Fernandes, Rockport’s Sunny Gallagher, Mansfield’s Brandon Gardner, Hull’s Libby Harper, Auburn’s Zhunay Moulton, Natick’s Lydia Proia, and Braintree’s Mya Ranieri all scored thrice.
Check out all of Wednesday’s scores here. And find our girls’ volleyball roundup here.
▪ Not only did No. 22 Franklin’s 3-2 win over No. 11 Wellesley one of the day’s shootouts, but it was also one if its biggest upsets. The Panthers (10-5-4) pulled off a No. 22-over-No. 11 stunner for the second straight year after taking out No. 11 Algonquin. Last year, Franklin went on to beat No. 6 Brockton, with both wins coming in overtime.
▪ The biggest upset of the day game in Division 3 girls’ soccer, where No. 28 East Bridgewater eliminated fifth-seeded Hanover, 1-0, when sophomore Jackie Pohl buried a free kick from 25 yards out.
▪ Back on the boys’ side, No. 25 Weston was a 1-0 winner over No. 8 East Boston, and No. 20 Mashpee’s shootout win took down No. 13 Leicester, 2-1.
▪ Auburn senior Zhunay Moulton recorded her 100th career point among three goals and one assist in a 4-0 Division 3 first-round girls’ soccer win over Weston.
▪ With two goals from Sabrina Tibbert, Lincoln-Sudbury field hockey defeated Attleboro, 3-0, in the Division 1 second round to reach its first quarterfinals in 20 years. Of note, the fourth-seeded Warriors will host No. 5 Winchester in a game that will pit L-S coach Vicky Caburian against her former Boston University field hockey teammate, Michelle White, the coach of the Red & Black. The two shared the pitch from 1989-1991, a span that included a trip to the 1991 NCAA Division 1 quarterfinals.
▪ Marblehead needed two overtime periods before Lucy McDonald uncorked a 30-yard strike for a 3-2 win in the Division 2 girls’ soccer tournament, marking the Magicians’ first trip to the second round in nine years.
King Philip senior tight end/outside linebacker Brodie McDonald has committed to play football at Bentley.
▪ Tabor graduate and New Bedford native Jaydah Bedoya will make her debut with the Puerto Rico National Team in their upcoming match against Santa Lucia on Dec. 1 in the CONCACAF Women’s Qualifiers.
Bedoya, who played at UConn, made three appearances with the Ecuador Women’s National Team from 2022-24. Most recently, she has been playing with the DC Power FC of the USL.
▪ New Bedford graduate David Abolarinwa, who also attended Dartmouth High, signed a professional contract with the Quad City Steamwheelers of the Indoor Football League. Abolarinwa, a 6-foot-2-inch, 280-pound defensive lineman, played four seasons at New Haven, finishing with 14 career sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss.
Four Massachusetts players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region 1 team, which covers New England and New York. Selected: Andover outside Jessie Wang, Shrewsbury middle Claire Troy, Longmeadow setter Chloe Scott, and Covenant Christian outside Leanna Rothier. The 2025 AVCA High School All-America Teams, as well as the four AVCA High School National Player of the Year finalists, will be announced Nov. 18.
Congratulations to senior captain Jessie Wang on her selection to the 2025 AVCA All-Region Team! Jessie is only 1 of 20 players selected from ME, NH, VT, MA, CT and NY to make the Northeast team! Congrats Jessie!!! pic.twitter.com/V69n2p4AmO
— Andover High Volleyball (@Andover_vb) November 5, 2025
▪ Graduate student Paige Gillette, an Andover High graduate, became the all-time wins leader for Assumption field hockey with 47, passing Kylie Gargiulo’s 46 wins from 2019-22. As a senior at Andover in 2021, Gillette was the Globe’s Will McDonough Female Athlete of the Year.
▪ Westfield State senior Julianne Kelly, a Natick graduate, was one of seven Owls from Massachusetts to make the 10-runner MASCAC All-Conference team. Joining Kelly was Agawam’s Reese Stephens, Longmeadow’s Shea Hamel, Dracut’s Tealei Chandonnet (a Greater Lowell Tech graduate), Methuen’s Brooke Soucy, Billerica’s Samantha Panzeri (an Eagle Hill graduate), and Haverhill’s Brynne LeCours. It was the fourth-straight All-Conference nod for Kelly and Hamel.
▪ Brandeis junior Jackson Sullivan, a Greater Commonwealth Virtual School graduate from Somerville, was named Brandeis Athlete of the Week after reaching the semifinals of the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Tournament, also known as the Big One. Sullivan rolled through the bracket, never surrendering more than 7 points in the 15-point bouts as the 21st seed, before falling to Brown’s Ansel Edison in the semis.
▪ Amherst junior Harrison Dow, a Concord-Carlisle graduate, was named to the NESCAC Men’s Cross-Country First Team for the second year in a row. Connecticut College junior Ellis Iurilli-Hough, a Melrose graduate, was named to the second team.
▪ Williams junior Tamar Byl-Brann, an Amherst graduate, was named to the NESCAC Women’s Cross-Country First Team for the second year in a row, as was Williams senior Kate Swann, a Mt. Greylock graduate from Williamstown. Williams senior Charlene Peng, a Franklin graduate, made the second team, as did Williams senior Fiona Picone, an Oakmont graduate from Ashburnham, and Tufts senior Elizabeth Donahue, a Reading graduate.
Salem High will hold its 2025 Athletic Hall of fame induction ceremony on Nov. 18 (6 p.m.) at Veterans Memorial Field House. Tickets ($50 per person, children under 10 free) can be purchased here.
This year’s class features: Alix Bryant (2014; soccer, basketball, track), Jessica Corneau (2007; gymnastics, track), Edwin Demoya (2011; soccer), Joseph Fabiano (1994; football, hockey, baseball), Joseph Freeman (1995; football, track), Brian Lockard (1978; cross-country, track), Jared Louf Woods (2013; football, basketball, track), Jamal Mercado (1995; football, track), Hannah Mullarkey (2014; volleyball), Sarah Mullarkey (2011; volleyball), Richard “Rick” O’Leary (1988; football, baseball), Beau Theriault (2008; golf, basketball, baseball), Paul Tucker (1976; cross-country, track), and Melikke Van Alstyne (2009; football, track).
8. Field hockey leaderboard
Addie Finlaw, Somerset Berkley, 4
Amelia Blood, Uxbridge, 3
Julianna Casucci, Uxbridge, 3
Julie Pacheco, Somerset Berkley, 3
Gabby Palermo, Nashoba, 3
Libby Baxter, Hingham, 2
Ella Dacey, Walpole, 2
Kenzie Heroux, Somerset Berkley, 2
Kate Schneider, Walpole, 2
Sabrina Tibbert, Lincoln-Sudbury, 2
Addie Finlaw, Somerset Berkley, 5
Ryan Crook, Somerset Berkley, 3
Ella Vaught, Somerset Berkley, 3
Ava Magnuson, Sutton, 5
Nathan Calcano, Abington, 4
Lucy Irwin, Central Catholic, 4
Bret Amorosino, Norwell, 3
Quinn Anderson, Sandwich, 3
Kaylee Barrett, Lynnfield, 3
Sabrina Fabrizio, Oliver Ames, 3
Aly Fernandes, Mansfield, 3
Sunny Gallagher, Rockport, 3
Brandon Gardner, Mansfield, 3
Libby Harper, Hull, 3
Zhunay Moulton, Auburn, 3
Lydia Proia, Natick, 3
Mya Ranieri, Braintree, 3
Taylor Bello, Hingham, 2
Ella Cammarata, Masconomet, 2
Gui Cardoso, Hopedale, 2
Carter Couto, Westport, 2
Ava Damiani, Lynnfield, 2
Maddie Fernandes, Mansfield, 2
Sophia Gauron, Hamilton-Wenham, 2
Bailey Kerrigan, Littleton, 2
Maeve Maroney, Hingham, 2
Garrison Murphy, St. John’s Prep, 2
Brianna Ramos, Hull, 2
Ava Quintin, King Philip, 2
Kaylee Barrett, Lynnfield, 7
Aly Fernandes, Mansfield, 7
Zhunay Moulton, Auburn, 7
Lydia Proia, Natick, 7
Brianna Ramos, Hull, 7
Ava Damiani, Lynnfield, 6
Sarah Tressler, Central Catholic, 5
Alex Corey, Littleton, 4
Morgan Lovell, Franklin, 4
Gus Tratnyak, Hamilton-Wenham, 4
10. Girls’ volleyball leaders
Chloe Dubuisson, Canton, 14
Mia Milani, Bellingham, 13
Emerson Delleo, Franklin, 12
Makayla Kuykendall, Franklin, 12
Melanie McDonough, Canton, 12
Val Nolan, Bellingham, 12
Madilyn Botelho, Joseph Case, 11
Kayla Dowdell, Joseph Case, 11
Olivia Alberti, Franklin, 10
Lily Rego, Joseph Case, 10
Phoebe O’Connor, Franklin, 38
Erin Bigham, Canton, 23
Soley Rodriguez Martinez, Canton, 22
Erin Bigham, Canton, 14
Emma Cunningham, Franklin, 12
Emerson Delleo, Franklin, 12
Makayla Kuykendall, Franklin, 10
Phoebe O’Connor, Franklin, 8
Olivia Alberti, Franklin, 4
Charlotte Yeulenski, Franklin, 3
Madilyn Botelho, Joseph Case, 4
Erin Bigham, Canton, 3
Mia Milani, Bellingham, 3
Val Nolan, Bellingham, 3
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
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