Strike Vote Today at Philadelphia Schools

Negotiators for the Philadelphia school district and a teachers union spent Labor Day at the bargaining table, trying to avert the city’s first school strike since 1981. But after a weekend of contract talks failed to reach an agreement, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers scheduled a strike vote for this morning. Teachers union President Ted Kirsch said negotiations were not progressing and that the executive board would recommend a strike. The school year is scheduled to start Thursday for more than 200,000 students in the city. The union must give the district 48 hours’ notice of a walkout.