Teachers in Sacramento, Calif., went out on strike last week for the second time since 1987 as school openings in six states were delayed by labor disputes.
The strike by 2,500 teachers meant 47,000 students missed the first week of classes in Sacramento.
The Sacramento City Teachers Association is seeking a 6.5 percent pay raise and retroactive 6.5 percent raises for the previous two years, said Jan Anderson of the California Teachers Association.
The district has offered an 8.1 percent increase and a 4 percent signing bonus for this year, and no increase for previous years. It also wants to eliminate contractual limits on class sizes.
Strikes in Illinois, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania kept an additional 88,710 students and 4,854 teachers out of class last week, according to the National Education Association.
Most of the strikes were over economic issues, including proposed reductions in health benefits, the N.E.A. reported.--AB
