Still no contract for Marquette Teachers

Marquette area public school teachers are still without a contract.

Members of the Marquette Area Education Association, MAEA, which represents MAPS’ teachers attended the school board meeting tonight but negotiations are still at an impasse.

Teachers, parents and community supporters attended the meeting. Unexpected support from teachers in Iron Mountain piled in for a show of solidarity. There was not enough seats and barely enough room to accommodate the passionate crowd.

Several teachers spoke explaining their predicament of spending their own money on supplies, working hundreds of unpaid extra hours and even having to take a second job to make ends meet. They say they want a resolution soon.

Don Barr, Co President, MAEA says, “Most of the language things have been done, however the classic insurance, compensation, class size, those types of things still are barriers for us right now.”

“It feels terribly disrespectful to not have a contract, so my hope is that the meeting tonight will prompt further negotiations and the contract will be settled and we can go back to doing what we do best and that’s teaching children,” said Marsha Page, a MAPS teacher.

The union says the school board should just honor the salary schedule previously negotiated in 1974.

The teachers staged a walk-in walk-out just last week to inform the community of the no contract situation.

No word on future meetings or when a decision will be made.