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Ithaca teachers urge board to authorize bargaining for 7.5% annual raises, step‑in‑lane pay grid
Summary
More than a dozen Ithaca City School District teachers told the board they are facing living‑wage shortfalls, documented turnover and ‘‘leapfrogging’’ in pay; the Ithaca Teachers Association asked the board to authorize negotiations that would allow an average 7.5% annual raise and adoption of a step‑in‑lane salary schedule.
A group of Ithaca City School District teachers on March 25 told the board their pay no longer covers basic living costs in Tompkins County and asked the board to authorize bargaining beyond the district’s current proposal.
The remarks were led by Elizabeth Crawford, who identified herself as a teacher of advanced writing at Ithaca High School. “I am here because I stood in line this year at a local food pantry when I couldn't stretch my grocery budget far enough,” Crawford said, adding that she could not afford childcare or keep her home without public assistance.
The testimony laid out data and personal examples intended to press the board to authorize union negotiators…
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