NYC Pre-School Teachers May Strike: Report

NEW YORK — Some of New York City's pre-kindergarten teachers are reportedly making moves toward a strike. One of two local groups under the umbrella of the District Council 1707 labor union on Thursday voted to "walk off the job" if members are not paid more, Chalkbeat New York reported.

The other involved local is set to vote Monday on whether to strike as the workers demand that their pay be aligned with public school teachers', according to Chalkbeat.

"We hope something changes for the better, for all of our colleagues and our families, because we’re struggling," Farzana Akhter, an assistant teacher in Brooklyn, told the website. "Give us the respect and the salaries we deserve."

District Council 1707 did not immediately respond to Patch's request for information on Friday.

The city's universal pre-kindergarten program is one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's signature initiatives. The union reportedly represents about 8,000 workers, including teachers, in pre-schools that community groups run, according to Chalkbeat.

The strike would likely only last for one day in May, Chalkbeat reported. But it would mark an escalation of an effort to address an apparent pay disparity between community-based teachers and those in public schools, which can reportedly be as large as 60 percent.

Read Chalkbeat's full report here.