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Rochester School Board, City
Council votes pending
By MARCUS WEISGERBER
Democrat Staff Writer
ROCHESTER
- Union members overwhelmingly approved the teachers' contract tentatively
agreed upon by the School Board and union officials a week ago Monday
night.
Members voted
145 to 7 in favor of the contract, said Bob Sinclair, vice president
for contract negotiations for the Rochester Federation of Teachers.
Officials are still unable to discuss particulars of the contract
until it goes before the board next week.
"It was
a long haul, but we did it," said Peg Hurd, union president on Monday,
reiterating what she said last week. After working without
a contract for close to five months, union officials announced last
Wednesday they had reached a tentative deal. The board, teachers
and administration shook hands on a tentative agreement Jan 22 at
1:05 a.m. after more than 15 hours of mediation. "I think
it's good," Sinclair said. "It's hard to get something that's perfect
for everyone." Neither the union, School Board nor administration
can comment on specifics of the contract until after the School
Board makes its decision next Thursday. If approved, the City
Council must ratify the contract. The city's police union
has been without a contract since July 2003, after the mayor vetoed
the latest proposal. The fire and public works unions only recently
settled on contracts, both three-year deals. The teachers'
union and the School Board negotiated for nine months until the
declaration of an impasse on Aug. 31. Both sides then waited until
nearly four months for mediation.
Teachers
have been working since Aug. 27 without a contract and are paid
according to last year's contract, which has caused some teachers
to take a pay cut due to the rising costs in health insurance, union
officials said in December. Teachers said in December previous
proposals set forth by the School Board put their salaries behind
the cost of living.
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