School Board Confronts Stalled Teacher Negotiations and Implements Stricter High School Credit Policies-June 20, 1974

Bargaining Bogs Down Over Agency Shop Fee Proposals as Committee Votes Strict New Truancy Penalties

The school committee reviewed intense contract negotiations last night in preparation for Wednesday’s special town meeting, which will consider crucial appropriations to cover salary raises for school department employees for the 1974-75 fiscal year. While tentative salary agreements averaging 6.5 percent have been successfully reached with local teachers, contract bargaining has bogged down completely on their union demand for school committee acceptance of an agency fee. The flatly rejected condition would require an agency shop fee, forcing all teachers in the system to pay association dues. If the school board will not accept this union condition, the teachers have asked the board to relinquish a traditional management rights clause in the contract. The board again last night vehemently opposed the agency fee proposal, viewing it as establishing an illegal “closed shop.” A last-ditch bargaining session is planned with the teachers at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Oldham School on the eve of town meeting. Conversely, the committee voted peaceful acceptance of six contract items proposed by the cafeteria workers, including localized work schedules.

In a separate decisive move to curb a rising incidence of truancy, unnecessary absences, and class cutting, the committee approved a stricter disciplinary policy for the high school to take effect in the fall. Under the new term guidelines, for a term course, only one unexcused cut will be allowed; for a semester course, two cuts; and for a year-long course, four cuts. Accumulating more than this allowed number will automatically exclude a student from receiving academic credit for the course. In addition, a new absence policy will mandate a total loss of credit for students whose aggregate absences exceed 20 percent of class meetings, tightening the restriction from the current 25 percent rule.

On a civil motion from member William F. Egan, the board planned to distribute wooden folding chairs from the Aaron Guild School among the local police, fire, and recreation departments. School Supt. Philip O. Coakley noted that the chairs, joined together in groups of three and five, had provided seating throughout the school’s historical use as a high school and junior high since they were originally manufactured around 1912.

The committee also took under advisement suggestions from member Judith Berkowitz to name the Junior High School North auditorium after the late Chief of Police James M. Murphy, that school’s auditorium after Walpole industrialist Charles Sumner Bird, and the Junior High School South gymnasium after recently deceased former school committee member Francis X. Sheehan Jr. and late selectman Harry Butters. To close out the meeting, at the suggestion of High School Principal John F. Monbouquette, the board planned to invite local Patrolman Thomas Michienzi in for a formal presentation of his high school diploma. Patrolman Michienzi is currently completing requirements for an associate’s degree from Northeastern University, and completion of his high school courses stood as a necessary requirement. Dr. Monbouquette highly praised the negotiating policeman, telling board members he had not received his high school diploma years ago because “he left school to go to World War II.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger