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Teachers, Board may vote on new contract Monday

Teachers' union, School Board set to meet Monday
Posted at 4:11 PM, Oct 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-14 23:19:58-04

Buffalo teachers and the Buffalo School Board could vote on a proposed contract as early as Monday.

Both sides are set to meet with their respective members late Monday afternoon.

"We are hopeful that the meeting will be to ratify a new contract.  We will do everything we can to have a tentative agreement emailed to you prior to the meeting," Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore wrote in a letter to teachers Friday afternoon.

On Friday morning, the School District told 7 Eyewitness News "According to Nathaniel Kuzma, the district's deputy general counsel, we are encouraged by both parties' work at the bargaining table to narrow the issues, and we look forward to continuing that work today."

Rumore told 7 Eyewitness News that negotiations will continue on Sunday at 4PM.

Teachers working for Buffalo Public Schools have spent years working without a new contract.  It's been twelve years since the last contract agreement was reached.

The major issues facing both sides concern teacher compensation, longer school days and health care cost.

Parents who have kids in Buffalo schools say it affects them, too and that it's about time a new contract is voted on.

"I think it will help the teachers get paid what they deserve," said Samantha Preston, who has sisters, brothers, and a son in Buffalo schools. "Kids are difficult to deal with. 12 years is a long time, and I'm glad if it will go through for them. Finally... because they need it!"

"They work hard, they got to deal with a lot of things, a lot of issues," said David Koch, who has a son in a Buffalo school. "It's about time they do!"