Boston, MA - On November 19, 2024 marks the eighth consecutive day of an illegal teachers’ strike disrupting the lives of families in Gloucester, Beverly, and Marblehead. The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), the state’s most powerful special interest group, is once again prioritizing its own agenda over the needs of students, parents, and communities.

In this election cycle alone, the MTA Independent Expenditure Committee has spent $245,000 to support political candidates aligned with its agenda. This extraordinary level of spending underscores the outsized influence the MTA wields in Massachusetts politics, often at the expense of families and students.

“Families are being held hostage by the MTA’s reckless and illegal actions,” said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale. “Parents are forced to pay out of pocket for childcare or miss work to stay home with their kids, all while classrooms remain empty and students lose valuable learning time. These strikes don’t help teachers or families-they only serve the MTA’s political objectives.”

The MTA has repeatedly used extreme tactics to push its demands, often leaving students, parents, and local communities to bear the brunt of the consequences. Illegal strikes disrupt daily life, hinder children’s education, and create financial and emotional stress for families across Massachusetts.

“This illegal strike is hurting the very people the MTA claims to support,” added Carnevale. “Instead of engaging in good faith negotiations, the MTA is banging drums and making noise while families pay the price. It’s time for this powerful special interest group to stop playing games with our children’s education and work toward a solution that puts kids and families first.”

The MassGOP is calling on the MTA to end this unlawful strike immediately, return educators to the classroom, and resolve contract negotiations without resorting to extreme and harmful tactics.

“The children of Gloucester, Beverly, and Marblehead deserve better. Parents deserve better. Teachers deserve better,” concluded Carnevale. “It’s time for the MTA to do the right thing and put students ahead of their political posturing.”