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TEACHERS are set to walk out in Denver for the first time in 25 years after an overwhelming vote in favour of strike action over poor conditions and high turnover of staff.
Negotiations between bosses and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) broke down after a year of tense talks on an overhaul of the pay and compensation system, which the union warns is linked to the high teacher turnover rate.
The situation is worsening, with the DCTA saying that 31 per cent of Denver teachers have been working at their school for three years or less.
Denver teachers’ pay is complicated by a system of unpredictable bonuses to compensate for a low basic salary.
The union gave an example of a teacher who moved to Colorado and ended up being paid $10,000 (£7,600) less than he was in Indiannapolis and $15,000 (£11,500) less than when he taught in Chicago.
DCTA president Henry Roman said the breakdown in talks was disappointing.
“We fully committed to negotiations for more than a year with a goal of keeping more of our talented and dedicated teachers in the district,” he said.
The strike comes after thousands of teachers walked out in Los Angeles over pay and conditions last week.