ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - With public school starting next week, fewer
districts across the state are beginning the new year with
unresolved teacher contracts than last year.
This year, teachers in 47 districts are without current
contracts, compared with 54 last year.
In western New York, the Buffalo district has the longest
unresolved contract. That pact expired in June of 2004.
Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, said
city schoolteachers are beginning their fifth school year without a
new contract, in part, because the city control boards mandate has
made contract resolution difficult: Any increases in spending have
to be offset by cuts.
The approximately 700 school and BOCES districts statewide are
part a public employee system that has about 4,700 collective
bargaining agreements.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)