Teachers Union Pact Defuses Strike Threat

The public school teachers union reached a contract agreement with New York City that gives them 15% raises over four years, officials said, ending an impasse that threatened the nation’s largest school system with a strike. The pact would raise the maximum base pay to $92,000.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who is running for a second term in next month’s election, and the United Federation of Teachers announced the deal after several days of renewed talks. Negotiations had been stalled for nearly a year. The agreement still must be ratified by union members.