A heated teacher strike in Massachusetts took an unexpected turn when the mayor was caught on video flipping off demonstrators, a gesture he later blamed on concerns for his wife's safety.
Teachers in Gloucester, Beverly, and Marblehead are striking for better wages and improved working conditions, with schools closed and negotiations stalled, Boston 25 News reported.
On Thursday, the night of the incident, union members protested in demand for action after 505 days without a contract for paraprofessionals and months of stalled negotiations.
Greg Verga was then seen making obscene gestures as he left a school where negotiations were taking place. Verga claims the action was directed at a former public safety official who approached his car, shouting, while trying to drive home to his distressed wife.
"She could hear the West Parish demonstrators from our house as well. She said things like she was scared, sick to her stomach and urging me to be careful," Verga said.
Despite his excuses, protesters and union representatives deemed the action as disrespectful and tasteless.
"At this point, my frustrations got the best of me and I responded to the nastiness being hurled at me as I was trying to make my way home to my frightened wife," Verga said. "The gesture, which I wish I hadn't done, was directed toward that individual, not the crowd, and certainly not the teachers."
The strike continues, while fines against the unions escalate daily and negotiations remain at an impasse.
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