New Haven Teachers OK Deal Ending 3-Week Strike

Teachers in the New Haven Unified School District on Sunday voted to ratify an agreement with the district, officially putting an end to an unprecedented 14-day strike.

Teachers will be back in their classrooms on Monday for the final four days of school.

Out of the 502 members of the New Haven Teachers Association who participated in Sunday’s vote, 302, or 60%, voted in favor of the deal. A simple majority was required.

The deal, which negotiating teams reached late Friday after nearly 200 hours of near-daily negotiations, gives the district’s nearly 600 teachers, nurses and counselors a 4% on-the-schedule pay increase over two years, as well as a one-time, off-the-schedule 2.5% bonus for the 2018-19 school year.

Union members also have the possibility of receiving up to a 1% on-the-schedule increase if more state funding becomes available.

Additionally, teachers set to retire this year will be able to do extra work over the summer in order to earn a full year of service credit toward their retirement.

At the onset of the strike, teachers had demanded a 10% salary increase. The district countered with a 1% increase and a one-time 3% payment.  Throughout the bargaining process, the district repeatedly said it could not afford the union’s demands.  Negotiations often became contentious, with both sides accusing the other of acting in bad faith.

The district said it had already started calculating end-of-year grades for seniors, whose final exams were cancelled because of the strike. Their grades are being calculated based on the best of three previous quarterly marks, the district said.

With school back in session, teachers for all other grade levels will be able to calculate final grades for their students, according to the district.