SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Scarborough teachers are demanding a pay raise after months without a contract.
Scarborough teachers said they should earn a better pay that reflects the work they do both in and outside the classroom.
The teachers said they’ve been without a contract since August. They are fighting for a more competitive pay, similar to nearby schools.
Teachers have held two rallies in a month. They’re also earning support from Scarborough parents.
The teachers have even received national attention including a tweet by Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders sharing his support.
I stand with @MaineEA and the teachers in Scarborough, Maine, who are fighting for better working conditions and a union contract. We will protect teachers’ right to stand up for themselves and their students, and all workers’ right to strike. https://t.co/4TitQwHrRK
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 16, 2019
The union president is hoping the school board will agree to the changes.
“This is happening across our nation. Across our nation teachers are saying, ‘Enough. We can’t take this anymore. This is killing us,’” Scarborough Education Association President Krystal Ash-Cuthbert said.
In a statement, the chair of the school board said, “We had a fact-finding meeting on December 9. We have good faith disagreements about what should be in the contract and we will look forward to the recommendation from the panel and hope that it will help us reach a settlement.”
The decision from the fact finders in the meeting is expected to come out in a few weeks.