Teachers say ‘we don’t care about the fines’ as strike enters third day
By WBZ Staff
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HAVERHILL, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Haverhill teachers did not return to school Wednesday morning, violating a court order to end their strike and extending it to a third day.
An Essex Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday ordering striking teachers to cease and desist and get back to class by 9 a.m. Wednesday. The judge said if they continue, they will be held in contempt of court and could face fines or jail time.
“We’ve been preparing for this for 20 years. Our reserves for this and any strike fines are not phasing us at all. We are ready for the long haul,” Haverhill teacher Ted Kempinski told WBZ-TV.
“We don’t care. The union leadership has been working on this for decades. We don’t care about the fines. Can I say it again? We don’t care about the fines. We’re not scared about it. Bring it on!”
The preliminary injunction issued by Justice James Lang noted that “the students of the Haverhill School system would suffer irreparable harm” if the temporary restraining order to end the strike was not issued.
Instead of going back to classrooms Wednesday morning, the teachers went to city hall for a rally before they were scheduled to return to the bargaining table in the afternoon.
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