Dedham
State calls coordinated late arrivals a strike in Dedham
An escalation of a work-to-rule job action in Dedham in 1990 was deemed an intermittent strike by the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission, which issued a “cease and desist” order.
Although there is no public record naming this action as a strike by the MTA or the Dedham Education Association, the state considered it an unlawful withholding of services when large numbers of teachers reported to their schools late on four different dates. The late arrivals were to protest the failure to reach a new contract after months of bargaining.
The Commission can infer the existence of a strike from, inter alia, the absence without excuse or authorization of nearly 100% of the employees scheduled to work at the commencement of their regularly scheduled start times on February 9, 1990 at all schools, and on February 14 at some schools and February 15 at all other schools, and on March 5, 1990 at two schools.