Denver teachers vote to go on strike over pay

Denver, Co — Denver teachers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to go on strike after more than a year of negotiations over base pay.

Rob Gould, lead negotiator for the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, said 93 percent of unionized teachers voted in favor of a strike.

The union represents 5,635 educators in the Denver Public School system, which could see a strike as soon as Monday.

“They’re striking for better pay, they’re striking for our profession and they’re striking for Denver students,” Gould said.

The main sticking point was increasing base pay, including lessening teachers’ reliance on one-time bonuses for things such as having students with high test scores or working in a high-poverty school.

Teachers also wanted to earn more for continuing their education.