Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
CHELSEA Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Teachers in Chelsea and across several North Shore communities are hitting the streets in protest to demand better pay and benefits in the classroom. Teachers are joining forces from multiple school districts to show solidarity as educators.
“We realize that there are 11 districts across the North Shore who are in negotiations right now and we all want to make sure that we are asking for the same thing, so, presidents are talking, and our members are talking to each other as well to make sure that each contract has the same demands met,” said Kathryn Anderson, who serves as the president of the Chelsea Teachers Union. Teachers in these districts are also demanding benefits such as paid parental leave for all education workers in each district too.
“This shouldn’t be something that depends on which school district you work in, it should be something that you should just expect as an education worker in Massachusetts now,” Anderson added.
The teachers’ unions cite the commonwealth’s paid family medical leave law that benefits private sector workers, adding that they want to ensure all members receive a humane, dignified and modern parental leave benefit that is like what many other workers already receive.
“We’ve had several negotiation meetings. We are seeking contracts that address the needs of staff, students and the entire community. We look forward to our continued work,” Michael Sullivan, Communications Director at Chelsea Public Schools said in a statement.
The teachers’ union has added that during these contract negotiations, members will continue to work.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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