Teachers in a Massachusetts town are striking over pay. Classes are cancelled for 5,500 students

Hundreds of teachers are on strike in Andover, Massachusetts. Classes were canceled Friday for the district’s roughly 5,500 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. But contract negotiations were scheduled for Friday afternoon. The union voted Thursday evening to go on strike. But a negotiation session with the school district and a state-appointed mediator was set for Friday afternoon. District officials say they have offered 23% raises for starting-level teachers and 11% for top-level teachers over three years. The union is pushing for 16% raises for all teachers, also over three years. Wages for instructional aides also have been a sticking point.