Pueblo Teachers Approve Contract Proposal To End Strike

Courtesy Pueblo City Schools

Published 05.13.2018 9:53 a.m. | Updated 05.14.2018 5:55 a.m.

Pueblo teachers approved a deal Sunday evening to end a strike that had closed most city schools for five days.

The margin was overwhelming for approval, 495-62 as reported by the Pueblo Chieftain. The southern Colorado paper writes that a memorandum of understanding was also reached relating to the transition to a four-day week.

We are pleased to announce that our members have approved the offer agreed to by D60 and PEA leadership. Our members are excited and relieved to be able to return to their classrooms and resume serving their students.

— Pueblo Ed. Assoc. (@PuebloEA) May 13, 2018

The proposal included a 2 percent cost-of-living increase retroactive to January, a 2.5 percent increase next school year and a $50 monthly health insurance contribution. The teachers' union had been seeking a 2 percent raise for the entire current school year.

Paraprofessionals had also been on strike and voted earlier Saturday to accept a deal giving them a 3.5 percent raise starting in September. The vote margin there was equally wide, 57-2.

The district has promised to pay both groups for three days of the strike and allow the remaining two days to be counted as leave time. They can also work an extra two days.

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