Mount Vernon Teachers End Strike After Agreement on New Contract

Mrs. Lofaso, a math teacher at Mount Vernon High School, apologized to her students for forgetting what she was going to say, reflecting the chaotic start of the school year due to a strike that lasted for a week. With the school board and the teachers' union reaching an agreement on a new contract, teachers voted to ratify the deal and return to work. The strike, which began on Friday, affected nearly all of Mount Vernon's 9,600 public school pupils, with only 36% of students and 11% of teachers showing up on the first day. However, with the agreement broadcast on local radio stations, almost all students returned to their classrooms today.

Key Takeaways:

• The strike between the Mount Vernon school board and the teachers' union lasted for a week, affecting nearly 9,600 public school pupils.
• The agreement on the new contract grants teachers a 2.25% raise this year and raises of 3% in each of the next two years, with no retroactive raise for 1993.
• The teachers ratified the agreement overwhelmingly, with the president of the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers, Geraldine Hegwood, holding firm to her statement that the union would defy a court order to return to work unless an agreement was reached.
• The board president, Adam Seiden, had said that the board would hold out for cost concessions, which ultimately saved an estimated $1.05 million, representing 1.2% of the $87 million school budget.
• The strike caused confusion, with a short-handed staff of administrators, substitutes, and parents operating the schools on the first day.
• Teachers reported having little time to prepare lessons and were forced to put off real work until Tuesday, with some attending school in casual attire due to their early departures.

Statistics:

• 36% of students, and 11% of teachers, showed up to school on the first day of the strike.
• 9,600 public school pupils were affected by the strike.
• $1.05 million in expected savings represents 1.2% of the $87 million school budget.
• The agreement grants teachers a 2.25% raise this year and raises of 3% in each of the next two years.
• The board saved an estimated $600,000 in annual costs associated with the teachers' health-care plan, $82,000 from the elimination of a special-education coordinator's position, and $370,000 in penalties collected from the teachers.

Sources:

• The New York Times (date unknown)

"Mount Vernon Teachers Return to Work After Contract Deal"

by Susan Smith, David W. Chen, and Ginia Bellafante