Dedham Teacher Strike Cancels School

DEDHAM, MA — Dedham's public school teachers have voted to go on strike, effective immediately. School will be closed Friday following the Dedham Education Association voted 275 to 2 in favor of the strike after negotiations between the union and the school district reached an impasse, union President Timothy Dwyer told the Boston Globe.

Dwyer said the strike started over disagreements on salary increases, health care coverage and other issues. This will be the first strike in the state in 12 years.

"The administration needs to sit down and bargain with us," Dwyer told the Globe. "We remain open to negotiations anytime, any place ... They were looking for concessions during good financial times, making us work more with little or no compensation."

Dwyer said the association is prepared to strike until it has a fair contract for its teachers. DEA officials told CBS one of the main sticking points of a new contract for teachers is protection from sexual harassment.

It's illegal for public school teachers to strike in Massachusetts.

School officials in a statement said they are "disheartened" that the association voted to strike and said the ones most hurt by this decision are the teachers and families.

“We take the concerns of our educators seriously and have worked over the course of the last 21 months of negotiations to offer consideration and negotiated agreement to dozens requests presented by the DEA at the outset of negotiations," Superintendent Michael Welch said.

Welch went on to say the vote to strike came just weeks before both sides were scheduled to meet with an independent arbitrator in an attempt to reach of a fair contract.

"As a district, we are saddened that our educators have chosen to consider this drastic and harmful action," Welch said. "We wholeheartedly appreciate and support our wonderful educators. They have shown unwavering enthusiasm and engagement in the classroom, and they have been propelling the incredible advancements we’ve made in our schools over the last few years, despite this ongoing difficult contract process."