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Teachers Vote To Continue Strike

Membership Adamant About Demands

POSTED: 12:09 pm EDT June 12, 2007
UPDATED: 12:58 pm EDT June 12, 2007

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More than 900 members of Quincy's teacher's union met and voted to continue striking Tuesday morning, despite a court order to return to the classroom.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that high school students joined their teachers on the picket lines early in the morning, carrying placards.

"I don't mind the longer school year, it's just I don't want to see my teachers walking around on the streets. They should be teaching us," said 10th grade student Annie Tran.

"We'd all rather be back in the classroom and taking care of the kids," an unidentified teacher said.

Teacher's union president Paul Phillips said the Quincy Education Association was standing firm in its demands.

"We're not backing down," Phillips said.

During an extended session Monday night it seemed there was a possibility an agreement might be reached after a state mediator asked both sides to draft proposals that would be brokered into a compromise. But health care contributions remain a sticking point in the conflict. Teachers oppose having to pay 20 percent of their health care costs, saying having to do so would negate any salary increases they expect to receive.

"Frustrated is probably inadequate at this point. You know, beating your head against a wall. It would be so much fun to stop," Phillips said.

Teachers were preparing to fan out to area neighborhoods where school committee members live to hand out leaflets explaining how much money they make in comparison to teachers in other communities.

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