NEW YORK, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- The United Federation of Teachers has reached a tentative agreement with New York City officials that could push top salaries above $100,000.
The new contracts would raise salaries by 7.1 percent over the course of about 24 months, pushing the top salary to $100,049 by May 2008, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
The contract would increase starting pay for new teachers to $45,530 from $42,512 and include a $750 lump-sum payment made to every teacher in the city on Jan. 1, 2007.
In exchange for the pay raises, the union agreed to a provision allowing the city to pay unwanted teachers with tenure to leave their position. The option would be voluntary for the teachers.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the negotiations serve as "a model for how the city and the unions ... should work together."
Union President Randi Weingarten said the contract would guarantee "stability and continuity for the rest of the mayoral term."
