Quincy teachers are ordered back

QUINCY -- A day after the last seniors graduated and with summer vacation looming, Quincy teachers walked off the job yesterday over stalled contract negotiations, shutting down the city's 19 schools and giving the district's approximately 9,000 students an unexpected day off.

But yesterday evening the state's Labor Relations Commission ordered the striking teachers back to work on Monday morning, setting up a potential confrontation.

"The commission has found that the [union] is in fact in violation of the law with their strike action and has asked the union to order the workers back to work," said commission chairman John Jesensky, explaining that Massachusetts law prohibits such labor actions.

Paul Phillips, president of the Quincy Education Association, said he would read the order to striking teachers at a scheduled union meeting Monday morning.

"We sort of expected it to happen," he said, adding that it was not clear whether the union would appeal the decision to a judge.

The ruling capped a day of intense emotions in Quincy schools.

District teachers protested outside their schools in the morning before gathering at a meeting at the Boston Teachers Union Hall in Dorchester. They then descended on Quincy City Hall, where they lined the streets, waving at passing cars and holding signs reading, "Support a contract."

The Quincy Education Association voted Thursday to walk off the job for the day after failing to reach a contract agreement with Quincy's School Committee.

The deal offered by the School Committee includes a 13 percent pay increase over four years, but teachers would be asked to double their contribution to their health plans, from 10 percent to 20 percent over two years. Quincy teachers, who have gone without a contract for a year, say the higher insurance costs would leave with little extra money in paychecks.

"We teach our kids not to be bullied, and we're being bullied," said Wendy Hanlon, a 52-year-old teacher at Atlantic Middle School. "It's not acceptable."

Mayor William Phelan, who was the target of much of the teachers' criticism, argued that under the proposed contract, Quincy would still cover a larger portion of employee healthcare than most cities in the state.

But Mark Scanlan, a Quincy High School teacher who spent his 39th birthday on the picket line, said the contract isn't stable enough to provide for his two children, with one more on the way.

"If that went through, I'd be losing money over the next four years," said Scanlan, who wore a "Koch For Mayor" T-shirt to support Tom Koch, a Quincy mayoral candidate.

Many teachers said they decided to walk out at the end of the school year so students would not have to make up as many days if negotiations took longer than expected. Any days spent on strike must be added to the school year, which was slated to end next Friday. The district would have to ask the state for a waiver if the additional days extend school beyond June 30.

Meanwhile, some students were spotted biking and walking near the protest, enjoying their day off.

"They should stay on strike," said 15-year-old John Conroy, parked on his bike.

"No, then we'd have to make up all the days," said his friend, Bobby Dion, 14.

Residents' support for the strike appeared to be split. Some who have union jobs gave a thumbs-up to the strike. Others who own small businesses or don't have as many benefits as teachers said they don't have sympathy for the teachers contract situation.

Bobby's father, Robert Dion, who is a union worker, said he was unaware the teachers had gone without a contract for a year. He said it wasn't a burden for Bobby because it's so close to summer.

"If there was an appropriate time, I think it would be now," the 56-year-old repair technician said.

Raja Mishra of the Globe staff contributed to this report.