Catherwood LibraryILR School

In order to keep New York unions and residents from becoming displeased over the issue of retroactive raises, Mayor de Blasio is asking for the longest contract ever proposed with the City?s teachers. The 9-year agreement would begin on November 1, 2009 and end in 2017 after de Blasio would face reelection. During the last week, in talks with the union, the city representatives have said that $3.4 billion requested by the union as retroactive pay for two of the four and a half years its members have been working without a contract is unworkable. The teachers? union?s reasoning for the $3.4 billion requested is that it would amount to about a 4% raise during 2009 and 2010, years where most other unions whose contracts had not expired received 4% raises. The city representatives are seeking concessions in both retroactive pay and health insurance costs, but many of the unions do not want to continue with negotiations until retroactive raises are settled.