Marblehead Teacher Contract Talks Hit Another Road Block

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement for Marblehead teachers and school employees continued to sputter on Monday when the latest bargaining session ended abruptly after a School Committee statement said an obscenity was hurled at the bargaining subcommittee and shouting ensued.

School Committee Chair Sarah Fox and Vice Chair Jennifer Schaeffner also said in a statement on Monday night that the negotiating subcommittee was "surprised to be told by the Marblehead Education Association today during our fifth bargaining session that the Union will not meet to bargain again until September following a June 11th scheduled session."

Fox and Schaeffner said they have made multiple offers of more than a dozen additional negotiating sessions but that they were "all rejected by the Union."

The Marblehead Education Association said in its statement that it asked the School Committee to enter open bargaining in an effort "to invite the community to be part of the bargaining process" but that the School Committee declined.

The MEA added that it exchanged proposals with the School Committee but was offered "very little in return."

The School Committee statement also said Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer was invited to the meeting but could not attend. He had requested to be part of the negotiations given the impact of the next deal on the budget of a town facing a perennial financial crunch.

"Today's bargaining session came to a close after the Massachusetts Teachers Association representative Anthony Parolisi shouted an obscenity at the Sub-committee followed by shouting in self-proclaimed anger by union members stating the proposals provided were insulting," the School Committee statement concluded. "The Sub-committee continues to be open to scheduling more dates in hopes of coming to an agreement for all employees."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)