Contract Approval in Cleveland Ends Threat of Strike

By Joanna Richardson

Members of the Cleveland Teachers' Union last week narrowly approved the school board's last contract offer, ending the threat of a strike in the 74,000-student district.

Fifty-three percent of the union's 6,000 members voted to accept the new pact, which would give teachers no raise this year, a 2 percent raise in 1994-95, and a 6 percent increase in 1995-96, said Richard DeColibus, the union president.

Teachers and school officials have been deadlocked in negotiations since the beginning of the school year, after the union turned down the board's initial contract offer, which would have increased pay a total of 3 percent over three years. (See Education...