SCRANTON, Pa. — Teachers in the Scranton School District say they're not backing down from their plans to strike next week.
Members of the Scranton Federation of Teachers explained their reasons for going out on strike next Wednesday at a news conference this afternoon.
The union says they've been working without a new contract and without raises since 2017.
They say budget cuts have eliminated 100 teaching jobs in the past two years and convinced many other teachers to leave Scranton.
"Enough is enough. After four years, after four years, the SFT [Scranton Federation of Teachers] must take a stand. We have to support our own members. We have to support our students and their families," said Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers.
"We are going to continue to communicate. And we are going to make every effort to move past this, to settle a contract, to keep your students in the classroom or to get them back as soon as we possibly can, because that is where they belong," said Katie Gilmartin, President of the Scranton School Board.
The union wants the school board to use part of the $60 million in federal aid the district received and additional state aid to raise salaries and benefits.
A mediator will meet with both sides to negotiate Monday afternoon.
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