CAIRO TEACHERS STRIKE OVER

CAIRO, Ill. -- After 24 school days, the Cairo school strike ended Monday, and for the first time since Nov. 17, students in the district will have to get up for school this morning.

Sixty-seven of the 73 striking teachers voted Monday night to approve a tentative settlement reached earlier Monday by administration and teacher representatives.

The teachers agreed to a 4.9 percent pay increase the first year and a 6 percent increase the next.

The extra pay they requested for experience was left out of the contract.

"There's a mixture of feelings among the membership," Cairo Association of Teachers President Ron Newell said. "Some feel like we backed down. Others feel like the board backed down."

At the start of negotiations in November, the school board offered a flat 1.8 percent raise for teachers who hadn't reached a certain level of pay. Teachers wanted a 9 percent raise for everyone and a 1.8 percent step raise based on experience.

Monday's agreement included a board promise not to fire teachers as part of a reduction in force.

"The main thing is that they finally gave in on job security," Newell said. "Just last month they said they would never move on that issue."

He didn't have exact figures on the vote, but said it was about 2-to-1 for the board's proposal. Newell called the Board of Education office around 8:15 p.m. Monday with the result.

School board members Jay Holder and Scott Walston gave each other a "high five" when superintendent Dr. Elaine Bonifield announced the strike was over.

Bonifield was more reserved, stating that she was pleased with the vote's outcome.

She said she didn't expect to have any difficulty getting students back to school today.

"They are going to get the news because the media is going to help me get it out," she said. "Plus, I have a whole list of people to call."

More than a thousand students have been out of class since the teachers went on strike Nov. 17.