The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has reached an agreement with the union that represents its teachers to offer a 12 percent raise for teachers over three years. The 3,200 elementary and high school teachers represented by the Federation of Catholic Teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31.
Union members still must approve the March 4 agreement. If ratified, the new contract will be retroactive to Sept. 1, according to John McEvilly, the secretary-treasurer of the union.
Under the previous contract, an elementary school teacher in the New York Archdiocese made $36,000 on average, and a high school teacher averaged $37,000.
The agreement comes at a time when a number of urban Catholic schools are being closed because of declining enrollment and financial troubles. (“Catholic Schools’ Mission to Serve Needy Children Jeopardized by Closings,” March 9, 2005.)
