Pittsburgh Public Schools Teachers To Strike Friday

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers has notified the Pittsburgh Public Schools that its members will walk off the job Friday in the first city teachers strike in more than four decades.

The PFT’s three bargaining units, which include more than 3,000 professional, paraprofessional and technical clerical workers, will hit the picket lines unless a contract agreement is reached, union President Nina Esposito-Visgitis said. Teachers are required by law to give the district 48 hours notice before striking.

“We provided the district with a 96-hour notice in order to provide extra time for our students’ parents to secure childcare for their children, our students, and to provide the parties’ with sufficient time to reach tentative agreement on new contracts for the three bargaining units prior to the commencement of the strike,” she said. “We are hopeful that that extra time will allow the Federation and the District to work together to reach a fair agreement that both recognizes the professionalism and hard work of our members and serves the needs of our students and school system.”

.Esposito-Visgitis said that since negotiations began more than 18 months ago, the PFT and the District have reached a small number of signed tentative agreements on proposed terms.

“None of these items includes salary, healthcare, equity for early childhood teachers, transfers, athletic coaches, or any of the other items outlined for members in the fact-finder’s report which was posted for public review in October, 2017,” she said.

The district had no immediate comment on the strike notification and its potential impact on its 24,000 students. The district has not had a strike since an eight-week walkout during the 1975-76 school year.

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