NK Schools to Ask Judge to Force Workers Back to School

While North Kingstown students are getting another day of summer vacation, the school department and Educational Support Professionals union will be heading to court this afternoon to resolve a in protest of and contract negotiations.

School officials filed an injuction Tuesday morning, asking a judge to force the 150 ESP employees back to work and . A hearing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. in Washington Superior Court.

The strike comes after both parties failed to reach an agreement regarding the union's contract – which has been under negotiations for the past year and a half. Earlier this summer, . Twenty-six custodians were laid off by the decision – though according to . Auger says that the union wants the outsourcing decision reversed as part of its current negotiations. The union has also taken legal action against the school department in the matter.

School and union officials were working in the 11th hour Monday to reach an agreement on the contract. After nearly eight hours of negotiations, the meeting was broken off shortly before 11 p.m. According to Superintendent Phil Auger, school officials were not certain that a strike would take place until Tuesday morning when the picket signs went up on Fairway Drive. Auger officially cancelled the first day of school around 6:30 a.m.

The teachers' union also voted to support ESP's strike Monday and is refusing to cross the picket line.