A teachers’ strike in Philadelphia that began after school ended last Friday was over before classes resumed Monday morning.
Union leaders and officials from the school district and the city hammered out a tentative contract early on Oct. 30 and required all teachers and other staff members to return to work.
The announcement was made at 5:45 a.m., after a marathon bargaining session that ended before dawn, said Milton McGriff, a spokesman for the 210,000-student district. He said details of the contract were not yet known.
The pact must be ratified by union members and the district before becoming official, Mr. McGriff said. The union will vote on the contract Thursday, Nov. 2. “We are thrilled,” said Barbara Goodman, a spokeswoman for the union. “The leadership will recommend ratification.”
Union members walked off the job at 3 p.m. on Oct. 27 to protest an interim, five-year contract imposed by the district in late September. The old contract had expired Aug. 31 and, by state law, could not be extended.
At issue were the length of the school day, salaries, and the district’s demand for a pay-for-performance system for teachers.
The interim contract was to have taken effect next fall. Until then, union members were working under the old salary schedule.
