Catherwood LibraryILR School

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city would not give raises to teachers and principals for the next two years, in an effort to save both jobs and money. The move would save about $400 million next year. Bloomberg said that he wanted to fight for more education funding with the teachers' unions, but the president of the New York City teacher's union said that he did not agree with the move, and that the Mayor could not just decide on the teachers' contract. The contract expired in October, and negotiations have stalled. The head of the principals' union also said that he would fight against the decision when they begin negotiations. Teachers will still receive step increases for seniority and higher degrees or credits, with an average increase of 3.3%. This announcement comes after Bloomberg pressured the State Legislature to raise the number of charter schools in the state. New York City employs around 80,000 teachers.