Denver Teachers Tentatively Agree to End Five-Day Strike

Public school teachers tentatively ended their five-day strike over salaries early Saturday, agreeing on a proposal crafted during an all-night bargaining session.

The teachers were scheduled to vote Saturday night on the deal. Details were not released.

Gov. Roy Romer, who headed off a teachers walkout threat in 1990, took over mediation on Wednesday after a judge ruled the teachers had a right to strike.

“Let me say that this will mean the children will be back in school Tuesday morning,” Romer said in a news conference just before dawn.

No classes were scheduled for Monday, a teacher-planning day.

Leonard Fox, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Assn., said the agreement “set the groundwork” for resolving troubles that led to Denver’s first teacher strike since 1969.

“I think the children of the Denver public schools have won,” said school board President Tom Mauro. “I think we have a strong agreement for many years and hopefully we will never have to experience one of these again.”

About 2,200 teachers went on strike Monday, demanding salary increases, improvements in working conditions and representation on committees that decide curriculum and other issues.

School officials had tried to keep the city’s 107 schools open, using 1,200 substitute teachers and 1,500 teachers who crossed picket lines.