Barbara Madelonien at Labor Notes reports on a wildly successful, illegal three-day Strike by the Andover Education Association in November that has now reverberated statewide for Educators in Massachusetts.  The Lowest-Paid Instructional Assistants got a 60% wage jump – immediately and Classroom aides on the higher end of the scale got a 37% increase.  Members won Paid Family Medical Leave, an extra personal day, fewer Staff meetings and the extension of lunch and recess times for elementary students.  Public School Workers can’t legally Strike in Massachusetts - but Andover’s is just one of a series of School Unions that have struck over the last four years, defying the ban, and in some cases paying heavy fines as a result.  The Massachusetts Teachers Association is now pushing for legislation that would legalize Public Sector Strikes after six months of bargaining.  The wins at Andover come after years of building Rank-and-File power and Democracy within the Andover Education Association.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Massachusetts Teachers Illegal Strike Wave Rolls On | Labor Notes