The Salt Lake City School District and the teachers association have brokered a tentative salary agreement after the district brought in a federal mediator to help them sort out their differences.
The move follows a stalemate in negotiations over what percent of an increase to give, and after at least two teachers’ protests in recent weeks. It also comes as districts across the state have engaged in a bidding war to attract the best teachers.
Details of the compromise were not available Wednesday. The district said it will release more information Aug. 8, after the agreement has been shared with both the Salt Lake City Board of Education and the Salt Lake Education Association executive board.
“We are grateful for the efforts of both negotiating teams, as well as the federal mediator, for their willingness to work together in reaching this tentative agreement,” Jason Olsen, a public information officer for the district, wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon.
Final approval of the agreement is contingent upon a vote from Salt Lake Education Association members, which will take place later in August, and approval by the Board of Education on Sept. 3, Olsen said.
The district's bargaining team had made three earlier proposals to the education association team, all unsuccessful, before the district brought in a mediator.
As part of the brokering, teachers have requested more personal days, class size caps and paid parental leave. If a resolution is ultimately unsuccessful, there could be a strike.
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