WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:05.480 It's with Dan Ray. I'm WBZ Costs Radio. 2 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.919 All right, Welcome back everybody. 3 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:14.439 There are three school systems north of Boston that will 4 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:17.600 be closed tomorrow. There will be no school in Beverly, 5 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:22.199 no school in Gloucester, no school in marble Head. There 6 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:27.280 are teachers strikes in all of those communities. I believe 7 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:29.199 I'm correct when I'm saying that. If I'm not being 8 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:31.160 corrected in a moment, I know there's a teacher strike 9 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:33.960 in Beverly and as teacher strike in Gloucester. Both of 10 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:37.719 those unions will be in court tomorrow morning in front 11 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.039 of a judge who had told them to end the 12 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:45.039 strike because strikes are illegal here in Massachusetts, as they 13 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:48.200 should be in my opinion. We are joined now by 14 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:53.000 Jennifer Schaffner. Jennifer, I hope I got your last name correct, 15 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.399 pronounced correctly. She's the chair of the Marblehead School Committee. 16 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:58.560 Welcome Jennifer. How are you? 17 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.719 Thanks to you and I'm good. I'm disappointed. 18 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.959 Yeah, you're disappointed, and you probably are dealing with a 19 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:10.120 situation which is very, very difficult, not only for the 20 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.239 school committee but for the residents of Marblehead. You were 21 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:17.519 in negotiations until just a few minutes ago, as I 22 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:20.280 understand that correct, that is correct. 23 00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:23.359 Yes, we had our second day of mediation today. 24 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:27.480 We emerged unsuccessfully to the detriment first and foremost to 25 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:30.840 our students of Marblehead. As a result, schools will be 26 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.799 closed tomorrow and students will go a day without getting 27 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:37.519 the education they're due because the Marblehead Education Association is about. 28 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:38.439 To go on an illegal strike. 29 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:40.480 Now are they technically on strike? 30 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:43.000 Because I know that at one point you folks had 31 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.359 the foresight, meaning the school Committee and the town of 32 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:49.439 marble Head, had the foresight to say was going to be. 33 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:54.480 A teacher's day? Or how did you care is it 34 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:55.879 actually a strike tomorrow? 35 00:01:55.959 --> 00:01:58.640 Or or do are they able to sort of avoid 36 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:02.280 being in court because you folks were generous and said 37 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:05.000 it was going to be like a teacher's special day 38 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:05.200 or what? 39 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:05.799 Yeah? 40 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:08.560 What we yeah, Dan, what we did is so the 41 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:13.800 marvel Ed Education Association voted on Friday to go on 42 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.960 strike effective tomorrow, November twelfth, and as a result, the 43 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:22.280 School Committee had an emergency meeting and we voted, based 44 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:25.879 on a recommendation by our superintendent, to make tomorrow a 45 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:30.000 professional development day slash training day for our teachers. So 46 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:34.120 we're planned for plan, planning for them to come into training, hopefully. 47 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:36.560 They will, and then we'll see what happens on Wednesday. 48 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.400 Well, of course, I think the reason, if I'm correct 49 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.879 and correct here, you folks had enough foresight to not 50 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.800 put Marblehead parents in the position of having to wake 51 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:48.000 up tomorrow morning at six point thirty and find out 52 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:52.000 whether their kids at school or not. Basically gave your 53 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:56.639 parents the weekend to try to find some alternative activities 54 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:57.599 for the students. 55 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:02.400 Tomorrow, that's correct, That is correct, Austara will be a 56 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:03.879 no school day for students. 57 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:09.000 Okay, so now just give me a Everyone knows Marblehead, 58 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:11.919 many of us never get up to that neck of 59 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:12.319 the woods. 60 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:16.199 It's one of the most beautiful communities in America as 61 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:18.960 far as I'm concerned, certainly in New England. How many 62 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:22.439 students are affected by this? How many students are in 63 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:24.000 your school system? Approximately? 64 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:27.400 Well, thank you for the kind words about Marvelhead. I'm 65 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.919 an almost lifelong Marbleheader. Myself grew up here and moved 66 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:33.639 back when my children were school age, and would love 67 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.039 to have you come up under better circumstances and have 68 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:39.360 a visit. We have a little over twenty seven hundred 69 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:41.400 students in our school district in Marblehead. 70 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:42.960 All right, and so you have I was sure, a 71 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:47.639 high school and one junior high school and how many 72 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:49.800 elementary schools? So you've got a system. 73 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.520 Correct? Yeah, we are pre K through twelfth grade. We 74 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:55.280 have two elementary schools. 75 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:57.960 We have an upper elementary school grades four through six. 76 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:00.560 We have what we call middle school, which you and 77 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.199 I think of as a junior high school, and then 78 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:04.080 we have a high school which is nine through twelve. 79 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:05.680 We have five buildings. 80 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:09.879 Okay, so how long has it been since this union 81 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:13.680 had a contract? How long have they been working without it? 82 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:18.279 So within our marvel Head Education Association, we have five 83 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:20.560 separate what we call bargaining units, which are sort of 84 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:26.240 categories of employees. Our custodians contract was expired June thirtieth 85 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:29.519 of twenty twenty four, and the rest of the units, 86 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:32.920 with the biggest one being our teachers unit, expired August 87 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.040 thirty first, twenty twenty four, so a little over two 88 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:36.480 months ago. 89 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:41.680 Okay. Now I'm assuming that the custodians are not prohibited 90 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:45.680 from striking, that they don't have the legal consequences or 91 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:48.839 are they a bargaining unit underneath the teachers' union. I 92 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:49.879 just want to make sure I get it. 93 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:55.800 No, they are a separate unit, and we're not one 94 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.439 hundred percent sure, but we're being told that they very 95 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:04.480 well not go on strike. They will potentially be coming 96 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.439 to work. We've heard some next stories about that and 97 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:11.600 we'll find that out, I guess on tomorrow Wednesday. 98 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:15.319 But the teachers unions are prohibited from going on strike 99 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:19.160 here in Massachusetts. Is there a coordination going on between 100 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:21.800 the three teachers unions geographically? To me, it's a little 101 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:26.160 interesting that you have Faverly, Marveled Head and Gloucester of 102 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:31.480 very very centrally located geographically doing the same thing. 103 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:32.319 At the same time. 104 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:33.680 Yeah. 105 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:37.639 And the one commonality between these unions is they are 106 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:40.600 all members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which is a 107 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:47.160 statewide union organization. So we feel, you know, fairly sure 108 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:49.480 that this is being done at the state level. And 109 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.040 that's really what our concern is. Because we're three very 110 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:56.800 different communities, we have different type where different. We're a town, 111 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:59.959 the other two are cities. Our finances are different. They're 112 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.120 one commonality is the organization at the state level. And 113 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.160 that's frankly, really the story here. 114 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:13.519 Okay, Now, let's let's focus in on Marvelhead. Sure, the teachers. 115 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:18.839 The demand, as I understand that of the Marvelhead Education 116 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.480 Association the teachers union, is they want a thirty three 117 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:28.639 point nine percent increase for teachers. That is across how 118 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:30.480 many years would that be? 119 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.120 That's across four years, four years. 120 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.879 So in effect, they're looking for really the equivalent of 121 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:38.439 about eight percent per year for four years. 122 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:42.480 Correct, okay, correct, four and that is not affordable for 123 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:43.439 us in Marblehead. 124 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.439 Right, you have offered a ten and a half percent 125 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.279 increase plus a new step in salary scale, resulting in 126 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.279 a twelve percent increase for two thirds of the teachers 127 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:56.600 who are at the top of the pay scale, right. 128 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:57.040 Correct. 129 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:02.759 The committee offered would increase average salary to ninety six 130 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:07.160 thousand dollars. That's the average salary with a maximum salary 131 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:10.360 of one hundred and nine thousand dollars. 132 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:11.160 Yeah. 133 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:14.959 Actually, my understanding from my numbers today with our finance 134 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.920 director is the average salary with our opera would be 135 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:20.120 closer to just under one hundred thousand. It would be 136 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:22.480 ninety nine thousand and change. So it would be a 137 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.399 little bit higher than that, and then the highest paid 138 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:28.519 would be one hundred and nine thousand. And those numbers 139 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:31.160 are fairly close because most of our teachers are at 140 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:33.680 the highest level largest about two thirds of our teachers 141 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:34.519 are at the highest level. 142 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:37.720 How many teachers do you have in the union? 143 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:40.040 Just about three hundred three. 144 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:44.639 Hundred teachers, so the average is about one hundred thousand, 145 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:48.120 and top scales one hundred and nine thousand. And also 146 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.720 the number that the town has to deal with. 147 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:58.360 Under the teachers request or their demand, however you want 148 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:02.240 to characterize it. I understand that it would cost an 149 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:06.040 additional eleven and a half million dollars. Is that on an 150 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:08.439 annual basis or over the term. 151 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.279 Of the contract, So that would what that means is 152 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:14.399 because there are increases no matter whose contract we go with, 153 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:17.000 they'll be increases every year. So at the based on 154 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:20.600 the union's proposal, at the end of the four years, 155 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:22.879 which would be twenty twenty eight, we would need an 156 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:26.600 additional eleven little over eleven million dollars per year by 157 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.680 the end of that contract to be meeting the obligation 158 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:29.240 of the contract. 159 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:34.399 Okay, and what is what is the current amount that. 160 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.320 Let's say for the last school year twenty three to 161 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:40.399 twenty four, what would be the correlating figure to the 162 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:44.399 eleven you know you're saying you need an additional eleven 163 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:46.639 point five What is the base. 164 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:47.639 Upon which that is built? 165 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:53.159 So right now, our salaries are about our total salaries 166 00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:56.440 are about thirty nine million dollars, little under forty million dollars, 167 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:00.639 and this year our increases were about a millillion dollars 168 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:04.320 more we needed this year compared to last year, which 169 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:07.320 is pretty much what our increase in our inteo appropriation 170 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:10.559 has been based on pretty slow anemic growth up here. 171 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:14.879 So to have to have eleven million or even you know, 172 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:18.799 two to three a year over four years, we just 173 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:19.919 we just. 174 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:21.440 Don't have it. The town doesn't have it. 175 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:23.120 Yeah, So they're. 176 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.440 In effect asking for an additional eleven point five nine 177 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:31.080 almost eleven point six million, and your offer, which includes 178 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.159 some other benefits as well, would be four point eight 179 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:39.320 nine million dollars almost five million dollars. So all right, again, 180 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.960 Marblehead is not is not a metropolis like Boston or Worcester. 181 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:46.559 It's a it's a town. 182 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.200 What I'd like to do is I don't want you 183 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:55.759 to negotiate this with people on air. I appreciate you 184 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:59.080 calling in tonight and you're available for us, because I 185 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:04.759 think so often and people don't understand the strictures that 186 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:09.120 you know, I suspect that probably as a school committee 187 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:12.240 member and you're the chair of the school committee. Folks 188 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:15.039 make a nominal salary, if any salary at all. 189 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:15.519 Correct. 190 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.360 We are volunteers. There's no spe end or salery. 191 00:10:19.799 --> 00:10:22.279 Okay, fair enough, okay, I just wanted to make clarify that. 192 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.879 And you're trying to run a great school system, but. 193 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:30.639 You have to, you know, be within some relative means. 194 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:32.679 It would be great if you could pay every teacher 195 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.919 three hundred thousand dollars a year. I mean, well, you know, 196 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:38.600 but yeah, I mean it would be wonderful, but you 197 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:42.519 have some limitations, and in order to do this, you'd 198 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:44.519 probably have to get a Prop. Two and a half override, 199 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.000 so you almost would be in a situation where you 200 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.600 would promise something that you might not be able to deliver. 201 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:51.679 That's correct. 202 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:54.039 I mean we are limited under Proposition two and a 203 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:57.080 half in raising our tax levy each year. And some 204 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.159 of the points you made earlier about Marblehead, we're very small, 205 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.399 beautiful Sea coast community. We have a very very small 206 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:07.360 commercial base of multiple small business owners. We don't have 207 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:11.759 a large industrial complex or big mall or anything, you know, 208 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:15.039 paying commercial rates. So this is on the backs of 209 00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:19.960 the eighty eight hundred households in Marblehead, and any increase 210 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.080 in revenue would require a Proposition two and a half override, 211 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:26.879 which we have not passed a permanent general override since 212 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:30.039 two thousand and five. There were two attempts in the 213 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:31.440 last three years. 214 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:34.159 And both failed, So it's a it's a bit of 215 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:35.000 a hill to cline. 216 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:38.919 Yeah, my sense is that, and I'll give you an 217 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:42.080 opportunity to respond to this business. Somebody who watches. 218 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:45.759 These these these teachers strikes from AFAR. I dealt with 219 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:49.159 Ruth van Fuller of a Newton last winter. They were 220 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.200 for like two and a half nearly three weeks, which. 221 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:54.679 Was horrific on their stems. 222 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.600 And again a community that that really is very generous 223 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:04.320 with their teachers. It's frustrating from AFAR because I look 224 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:09.360 at it and I know that the terminology that the 225 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:13.000 union uses this is always for the children, but it's 226 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:17.360 really not. It's about increases for the union members. That's 227 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:21.440 the bottom line. And they so in effect they're holding 228 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:25.879 the children kind of have a hostage because these kids 229 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.320 they can't go to school without the teachers. And at 230 00:12:29.320 --> 00:12:33.080 the same time, and some of these communities they encourage 231 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:36.000 the students go out and demonstrate with the teachers, which 232 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:38.639 is sort of an interesting conflict because if I'm a 233 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:42.039 fifteen year old looking to go to college and I 234 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.879 want to make sure that my grades are not adversely impacted, 235 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:47.679 it's kind of a tough position to put a student 236 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:50.440 in to either ask or encourage them to come out 237 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.399 and participate at a rally and all of that. And 238 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.279 these are things that just as a resident of Massachusetts, 239 00:12:58.320 --> 00:12:59.879 trouble me. And I don't hear too many of the 240 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:05.039 politicians speaking out against these practices by the teachers Union. 241 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.080 And you know, I don't expect you to echo my comments, 242 00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:09.480 but I want you to know I look at it 243 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:12.320 and it almost feels to me like the students being 244 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:15.720 one held hostage in being used as pawn simultaneously. 245 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:19.639 If you get my dress, well, I understand what you're saying. 246 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.960 I am quite well taken. I think also, you know, 247 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:24.840 when I speak, particularly for our older students, I mean 248 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:25.080 they do. 249 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:26.720 They care about their teachers. 250 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:29.759 I mean, that's evident, and I've seen that with the students. 251 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.639 They do care about their teachers. And we care about 252 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.799 the teachers too, right, you know. So we want to 253 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:39.600 be able to find a contract that we can all 254 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:43.919 live with, and we're just hoping that they can come 255 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.600 back to school. And as a matter of fact, we offered, 256 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:50.320 both on Saturday and again today an option for them 257 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.600 to We said, come back, come back to the classroom, 258 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:53.320 come back to work. 259 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:54.919 We will take the folks on. 260 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.519 The bargaining team. There's fifteen members of the union on 261 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.240 the as their bargaining leadership team. We will release them 262 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:02.600 from their teaching duties or their work duties, will get 263 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.399 coverage for them, and come back to the table and 264 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:08.279 let's negotiate this all day, all night till we can 265 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.279 get it done. But have everyone else back in the classroom. 266 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:15.639 And they rejected that twice. 267 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:18.840 One final point, I just want to make sure that 268 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:23.759 this is clear to people selective service in this country. 269 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:27.399 The military draft ended in America in nineteen seventy two. 270 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:32.679 None of these teachers were drafted by the Marblehead School Committee. 271 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:36.039 They all wanted to teach in marble Head. They viewed 272 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:41.480 this as a vocation, correct. They understood that. 273 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:43.799 They have not been dragooned to teach in marble Head. 274 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:46.039 But they want to make sure that everybody makes one 275 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:50.120 hundred thousand dollars and that's a number that frankly, I 276 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:56.440 guess the town of Marblehead just cannot physically guarantee. So, boy, 277 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:58.720 they put you in a tough position. I thank you 278 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:00.639 for having well. 279 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:00.960 Thank you again. 280 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.120 And one thing I'll say quickly too, is that, you know, 281 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:04.279 one of the things we've talked. 282 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:05.919 About is we do want to be competitive, right. 283 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.039 We want to be competitive with as tough as it 284 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.840 is in our financial situation, with other communities on the 285 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:14.200 North Shore. And what we've also talked about is that 286 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:16.879 some of the things that they're looking for, coming off 287 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:19.559 of several contracts, particularly the latest one in COVID, which 288 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:21.960 was not a big increase this last contract they had, 289 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:25.159 we need a couple of contracts to try to try 290 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:27.679 to sort of fix this, you know, whether we do 291 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:30.320 one contract now and then in twenty twenty eight we 292 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:32.759 do another contract and try to do this over, you know, 293 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:35.919 a couple of contracts to get them at a level 294 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:40.639 that that you know that they want or that they would, 295 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:41.000 you know. 296 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:43.039 Be comfortable for us. 297 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:46.240 From looking from looking at the Department of Education teacher 298 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.799 salary levels in Massachusetts, which I'm very familiar with, they 299 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:53.159 seem to me to be a fairly pretty well compensated 300 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:56.360 school staff. By the way, I notice you increase sickly 301 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.720 by twenty percent. That's your offer, that's your proposal. What 302 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:02.759 is the current sick leave of the one hundred and 303 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:03.679 eighty day school year? 304 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.600 How many days can can a teacher be sick without 305 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:08.919 without a question? 306 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.679 So teachers and my brother, the teachers are given fifteen 307 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.799 sick days a year and those can roll over, right, 308 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:17.360 so they can roll over up to one hundred and 309 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:19.759 eighty days, so they can accumulate lots of sickly. 310 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.440 So this is they're at, yeah, and a twenty percent increation. 311 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:26.159 You you're offering to get them to eighteen sick days 312 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:26.600 per year. 313 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.759 Well, no, that's absol a little different. That's with our custodians. 314 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:33.039 What the what the teachers are asking for is not 315 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.480 specifically sickly. 316 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.440 It's paid parental leave, is what they're asking for. 317 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.679 So they don't they want right now when parents are 318 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.399 out having had you know, the child and their family, 319 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:48.279 the birth reduction. There's multiple things they're entitled to. There's 320 00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:51.120 a federal family lead which is unpaid, and they can 321 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:54.159 use their sickly if they've had a child for for. 322 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:55.480 You know, for that. 323 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:58.960 What they're asking for is to not have sickly count 324 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:01.759 towards it. And what they were asking for was sixty days, 325 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:05.640 six weeks. I've paid, sorry, twelve weeks of paid parentally. 326 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:07.920 So sixty days, sixty days. 327 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:10.920 Yeah, yeah, and that we just you know, we just 328 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:13.680 that was not going to be affordable. So we offered 329 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:14.799 ten and then. 330 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:16.720 We went up to twelve. So right now we're offering. 331 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:19.880 Twelve days paid parental leave. When they have a child 332 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:23.319 birth redoption, then they could have their sick leave and 333 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:26.319 then they would still be entitled even after that with 334 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:30.119 the federal and the state additionally leave up to twelve weeks, 335 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.799 but on a portion of it unpaid. 336 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:36.920 Gotcha, Okay, Jennifer Schefner, thank you so much for your 337 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.920 time tonight. I really appreciate you. You've done the right thing. 338 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:42.119 You've explained your position very well. I hope we hear 339 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:46.279 from some from some folks in Marblehead or other communities. 340 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:47.599 Thank you so much, appreciate it. 341 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:48.359 Thank you. 342 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:50.440 We're going to take a break here, robbing and kick 343 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:52.119 one over. I'm just going to throw the number out. 344 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.640 I'd love to get people's reaction. Jennifer is the chair 345 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:58.400 of the school committee in Marblehead and presents yourself very well. 346 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:02.279 Six one thirty six one seven nine free, one ten thirty. 347 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.559 I frankly am getting tired of teacher strikes, illegal teacher 348 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:07.839 strikes here in Massachusetts. 349 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:09.920 You can join me or you can debate me, whichever 350 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:11.279 you want. Give us a call. 351 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:12.799 Now. 352 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:15.839 Back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night 353 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:19.240 Side Studios. I'm WBZ News Radio. 354 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:22.920 I'm just going to take a quick break here, just 355 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:24.319 for about a minute or so, and then we're going 356 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:25.680 to get the news at the bottom of the hour, 357 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:27.200 and then we'll go to phone calls. They want to 358 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:31.359 thank Jennifer Schaefner. She's the chair of the Marblehead School Committee. 359 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:33.359 How would you like to be in her position tonight? 360 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.240 I mean, the bottom line is teachers strikes in Massachusetts 361 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.480 are illegal. We saw what happened in Newton there, but 362 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:42.880 other communities, the teachers Association. 363 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.680 You might think this doesn't affect you. But what happens 364 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.319 in Marblehead, what happens in Newton, what happens in Beverly, 365 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:51.559 what will happen, what's happening in Gloucester tomorrow is coming 366 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:55.440 to a community near you soon. And I like teachers, 367 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.440 Believe me, I had great teachers, and I'm sure all 368 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:01.960 of us did. But the Teachers Union are leading the 369 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:05.880 teachers down a path which is not a good path. 370 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:09.839 They are going to try to get every last dollar 371 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:13.599 out of these communities, and there will be cuts to 372 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:14.599 other programs. 373 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.839 That's not what teaching is all about. People go into 374 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:23.640 teaching as a as a vocation almost okay, and there's 375 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:28.480 a lot of perks to being a teacher there, and 376 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:31.759 the salary levels are pretty good. They're knocking on one 377 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:34.480 hundred thousand dollars, they'll be up over one hundred and 378 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:38.720 ten thousand dollars. And this is for a job that 379 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.920 you have two months after in the summer. And the 380 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.799 more that the Teachers Union push it, the more that 381 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:48.640 communities are going to feel it, and they will develop 382 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.640 some animosities. I have strong feelings on it. I have 383 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:55.400 tried to hold my feelings to myself, but in a 384 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:58.000 community like Newton last winter when they were out for 385 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:01.039 about two and a half to three weeks. Ruth Ann Fuller, 386 00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:05.000 who's a very progressive Democrat, she was upset about it. 387 00:20:05.079 --> 00:20:09.400 She handled the situation very well. The scars of these 388 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:13.640 sort of strikes which are illegal, which are illegal in 389 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:19.119 Massachusetts Police Department, conco and strike firefighters, EMTs and teachers, 390 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.960 but they go on strike and then they get their 391 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.000 wrists slapped. 392 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.200 This is a problem and it needs to be addressed. 393 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:29.799 Please feel free join the conversation. Six one seven, two, five, 394 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:33.039 four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. 395 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:36.440 I'm making my feelings known. If you agree with me, 396 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:39.079 I'd like to hear from you. If you don't agree 397 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:41.279 with me, I'd love to debate you on it. It's 398 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:42.119 as simple as that. 399 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:46.480 Okay, we can have a friendly conversation. We can disagree 400 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:50.480 about about some of this. But teachers' unions, particularly in Massachusetts, 401 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:56.119