Gloucester Teachers End Strike with New Contract as Beverly and Marblehead Strikes Continue

After a 15-day strike, Gloucester educators secured significant pay raises and benefits, while negotiations remain unresolved in neighboring districts.

Gloucester teachers and paraprofessionals unanimously ratified a new contract, ending a 15-day strike that closed schools for 10 days.
The agreement includes pay increases, enhanced parental leave, and professional development opportunities but falls short of achieving a 'living wage' for paraprofessionals.
Strikes in Beverly and Marblehead persist, with unions pushing for better pay, smaller class sizes, and improved working conditions under expired contracts.
An Essex County judge has imposed escalating fines on the striking unions but pledged to suspend them temporarily if teachers return to classrooms by Monday.
The strikes highlight broader tensions over education funding and illegal work stoppages, which have become more common in Massachusetts since 2022.