EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- A teachers' strike in the Poconos is over.
The East Stroudsburg Area School Board voted unanimously Monday night to the terms already ratified by the teachers union Monday afternoon.
“All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Passed 9-0,” said the school board president for the East Stroudsburg Area School District.
And with that unanimous vote, the teachers' strike ended in the East Stroudsburg Area School District, bringing people in the packed room to their feet in applause.
The school district approved the terms of the agreement during a board meeting this evening; those terms had been ratified by the teachers union earlier in the day.
Before the vote was taken, parents and teachers made a passionate plea to the board.
“Our children are the future of our community without watching out for them, we are nothing,” said parent Rebecca Beal. “So please just remember that, work together that we can make this a great place to live.”
“By not settling in a timely manner the outstanding contracts of our teachers and support staff, this school board owes this community a public apology,” said parent Reuben Torres.
Teachers began walking the picket line last Monday, saying they have not had a contract since 2016.
The main arguing points were salaries and health care.
Now the East Stroudsburg Education Association's president says the new contract carries the teachers to 2021.
“We made concessions both in salary and health care. So, when we look at our population from new teacher to from been teaching here for 30 years, there's give and take,” said union president Ann Chatrillo.
For students, it's a relief to get back to class, since they only started the school year two weeks before the strike.
“I'm definitely, because what was the point of going to school and then to be on vacation for who knows how long if they didn't come to an agreement,” said East Stroudsburg South freshman Natasha Torres.
The teachers' union says classes will resume on Wednesday in the East Stroudsburg Area School District.