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The
contract, covering some 120,000 teachers and other school
workers, also calls for a $3,000 ratification bonus for each
member and establishes an annual cash payment – set to reach
$1,000 by 2026 – to help in recruitment and retention.
"I'm probably one of the few modern-day mayors that was a member
of a union," Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said at
a press conference on Tuesday announcing the agreement. "I know
what unions do for this city."
While the previous contract expired in the fall, the
negotiations were smooth compared with talks in some other major
cities.
In Los Angeles, teachers joined a three-day strike in March by
the union that represents school support staff, effectively
shuttering the second-largest U.S. public school system. The
union reached a new deal with the city in April.
New York's contract expands voluntary virtual learning, which
will offer flexible class scheduling including weekends and
evenings and will eventually be available to all high school
students and some middle school students.
David Banks, the education chancellor, told reporters that while
remote learning is not a substitute for in-class lessons, it can
help students at risk of dropping out to complete their course
work.
The proposed deal would allow most teachers to reach $100,000 in
salary within eight years of getting hired, according to union
officials.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by David Gregorio)
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