Schools were closed for Gloucester’s nearly 3,000 students for an eighth school day on Wednesday as the School Committee and educator unions traded proposals in negotiations at West Parish Elementary School.
Teachers and paraprofessionals unions have been striking over competitive salaries for teachers, a living wage for paraprofessionals, paid family leave, and respect in the workplace.
Both the Gloucester Teachers Association and the Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals, which make up the Union of Gloucester Educators, voted to strike Nov. 7 as both have been working under expired contracts.
“I am sorry to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 20, 2024,” Superintendent Ben Lummis wrote in an 8 p.m. email to families. “While we have seemingly made progress, unfortunately it has not been enough.
“The School Committee gave their most recent increased salary proposal to the union leadership at 10 p.m. (Monday) night. However, the unions have just given the School Committee a salary proposal at 7:50 p.m. tonight. Such a late proposal is too late for the two sides to make an agreement tonight and still open school tomorrow,” he wrote.
“The union leadership very clearly knew of the deadline we had to notify families. We will continue to work into the night but it is already late and we know your children need to know now.”
The canceled school day is being added to the end of the school year making the last day of school June 30. Days canceled after this will need to be made up during February and, or April vacation, Lummis said.
Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Union of Gloucester Educators announced on Facebook pickets Wednesday along Stacey Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at West Parish at 2 p.m., a rally a Gloucester High at 5:30 p.m. with plans to attend the scheduled School Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m.
About 80 educators, families, students and children held a candlelight vigil Tuesday at City Hall that started at 4:30 p.m. and after a brief ceremony those gathered headed down to the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial on Stacy Boulevard.
“When one flame is joined by another and another, and the light grows brighter, together, we can push back even the deepest shadows,” Matthew Lewis, co-vice president of the Union of Gloucester Educators, said about the need for support by the community.
“We fight for our students, for equity, for respect, for justice, and for the recognition that education is the foundation of everything else,” he said.
“They made substantial movement on paid parental leave,” Lewis said in a message to the Times. “We have counters being sent.”
The proposal was sent earlier than what was stated in the update to families, he said.
After negotiations Monday saw no further progress, talks were called off at 11:45 p.m. Mediation resumed Tuesday at 11 a.m. at West Parish School.
On Tuesday, members of Gloucester, Marblehead and Beverly educator unions gathered at the Statehouse where the Union of Gloucester Educators met with state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and an aide to State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester.
The union shared videos of those meetings on Facebook.
Tarr told striking teachers and paraprofessional he scheduled a meeting with Mayor Greg Verga on Thursday and would share the union’s message with him.
“My hope is that we’ll be able to reach a fair resolution to this and as quickly as possible, because our kids are losing out,” Tarr told educators from the floor of the State Senate chamber.
“Grab and Go” breakfast and lunch meals are available Wednesday for families at Gloucester High, O’Maley Middle School and East Veterans School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Staff writer Caroline Enos contributed to this report.
Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@northofboston.com.