Tentative Agreement Sends Jersey City Teachers Back To Work

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- On Friday, Jersey City teachers went on strike for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The strike was over Monday, with a Sunday night deal sending 3,100 teachers back to work.

The union and the school board still have to ratify the plan, but it's enough to get teachers back to class on Monday.

The main sticking point for teachers was high out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

The two parties have met more than 20 times since they began negotiations in May 2017. The teachers of the 29,000 student district have worked under an expired contract since September 1.

It wasn't just be teachers walking off the job. School nurses are also members of the JCEA which comprises 4,000 members. 

"Imagine a profession where people tell you how important it is what you do, that we value you so much but then you're hearing from your Board of Ed, you're hearing we're going to pay you less every year for what you do -- it's not sustainable," said NJEA VP Sean Spiller.