Overview
- Negotiators met from Tuesday morning into the night after an eight-hour mediation session on Friday, with the district saying they would take as long as needed to seek a deal.
- Union members plan to walk out Thursday if no agreement is reached, with picket signs prepared for roughly 3,200 educators.
- District officials told families to prepare for district-wide closures starting Thursday, with extracurricular activities and athletics to be suspended during a strike.
- Pay and health insurance are central issues, with earlier positions at 11% for the union and 6.58% for the district, while current proposals remain confidential under state law.
- The district serves nearly 40,000 students and more than 3,000 teachers, and union leaders say they hope to avoid a strike by securing sustainable compensation.