Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 29, 2006 DETROIT TEACHERS VOTE TO ST...

...stay away from work. They did NOT vote to "strike"...since striking is against the law in Michigan. Teachers wouldn't vote to break the law!

At least there appears to plenty of "wiggle room" between the two parties. The always greedy teachers want a 16% increase over a 3-year period, whereas the always fiscally responsible school board wants to cut salaries 5.5% over the same period...and cut benefits too.

From the New York Times...

Detroit Teachers Vote Not to Report to Work

By BLOOMBERG NEWS

Public school teachers in Detroit voted yesterday to reject a contract offer and not report for their first day of work today.

School is scheduled to start Sept. 5 for the 129,000 students in the Detroit Public Schools.

"Teachers are not willing to continue absorbing the cost of the district's mismanagement any longer," Janna Garrison, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said in a statement.

The union, which represents about 9,500 teachers and social workers, is seeking a contract that would raise the current $70,000 salary for top-level teachers by 16 percent over three years. The school district has offered a two-year contract with wage cuts of 5.5 percent and reductions to some benefits, the union said.

Lekan Oguntoyinbo, a district spokesman, said officials might take legal action, since state law requires teachers to report to work.

"Indications are they voted for an illegal strike, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow morning if they fail to show up," Mr. Oguntoyinbo said yesterday. "We do plan to take some decisive actions, but we're still deliberating."

Enrollment in the district has declined 4 percent a year since 2000, leading to less state financing. The district last year closed about 30 schools to cut costs and laid off 2,400 teachers, though 1,900 were later recalled, said Michelle Price, a union spokeswoman.