Grafton
Strong parent support bolsters 4-day Grafton strike
A contentious four-day strike in Grafton ended on Valentine’s Day, 1980, with teachers winning significant raises along with parental support that sparked a movement to unseat School Committee Chairman James Shannon, according to MTA Today.
The main issues concerned the salary schedule, layoff language and the district’s plan to require some secondary teachers to teach six periods each day.
The superintendent was intent on implementing a system called the Grafton Plan, under which teachers would not receive automatic cost-of-living increases based on years of service and college degrees and credits. In the end, a traditional salary schedule was adopted for current staff, with teachers receiving raises of 7.8 percent in year one and 7.7 percent in year two. There were also limits set on the proposal to require some secondary teachers to teach for six periods.
It was a tremendously unifying force for the association, and when it was over the teachers had developed a new sense of pride in themselves and the profession.
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