NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The New Haven Board of Education approved a tentative contract that would give New Haven Public School educators a pay increase of about 15% over three years.
It took months of negotiations between the board and The New Haven Federation of Teachers to get the contract finalized, but 97% of the union's 1,800 members are in favor of the potential deal.
"We can stay, and know that we're being, you know, getting what we deserve," said Mia Comulada Breuler, a school counselor with New Haven Public Schools.
Comulada Breuler has been working in New Haven schools for 17 years. Like many others, she has thought about leaving the district before for better pay, but she said this is the community she grew up in, and wants to stay.
With the new contract, she said she may just not need to consider leaving anymore.
"I'm pretty vested in staying in New Haven, but certainly the thought of leaving weighs on me way less," Breuler said.
It's a thought many other teachers have had. A spokesperson for the district said they're seeing people leave on a regular basis. Many are leaving with better financial offers in other districts.
"That's probably the most frequently cited reason. In most instances, teachers are leaving with another job in hand," said Justin Harmon the director of communications for New Haven Public Schools.
"We went into negotiations with the goal of teacher retention, and a key piece of teacher retention is respect and a key piece of respect is salary," said Leslie Blatteau the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers.
Under the tentative contract, New Haven educators will see pay increases for the next three years. This is all on top of a salary schedule that will increase base pay for incoming teachers and those who earn tenure.
"So now, our new haven teachers can say, 'you know what, the end of this three years, I'm going to be making this salary that puts me on par with those districts that are trying to pull me,' and it gives them that reason to stay," Blatteau said.
The contract also comes with slightly better health benefits, extra pay when they have to work out of title, and a longevity bonus for teachers who have served New Haven schools for 25 years.
Union members say it's not all about the money, but it is all about respect.
"There are other aspects of this job that you stay in for and it's the community that you're from, one that you want to serve," Comulada Breuler said.
The timeline for the contract is not set in stone just yet. The next step is approval from the Board of Alders. As soon as they get the paperwork, they have 30 days to make a vote.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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