COLUMBUS, Ohio — Teachers in Ohio's largest school district might be heading back to the classrooms after a tentative agreement was reached early Thursday morning that could end a strike.
On Twitter, the Columbus Education Association confirmed that the Columbus City Schools district and union members had reached a "comprehensive conceptual agreement" just after 2:30 a.m.
BREAKING: COMPREHENSIVE CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT REACHED AT 2:38 A.M! CEA Members: Do not report to picket sites in the morning, check your email for further instructions. pic.twitter.com/bXcndRk7HJ
— Columbus Education Association (@ColumbusEA) August 25, 2022
CBS News reported that the union said negotiations took about 14 hours before a deal was struck.
"While the details cannot yet be disclosed, the contract recognizes the Board's commitment to improving our student outcomes, the essential work of the (Columbus Education Association) members, and strengthening our learning environments," Board of Education President Jennifer Adair said in a statement.
More than 4,000 teachers and other education professionals hit the picket lines after union members voted on Sunday to strike.
The union listed reasons why they were striking in a notice of intent on Aug. 11, which included smaller class sizes, full-time art, music, and P.E. teachers at the elementary schools, and functioning heating and air-conditioning in classrooms.
The school year started Wednesday as planned, but with teachers on strike, students took classes online, which were led by substitutes, CNN reported.
The district said on its website that classes would remain online until Friday, with plans for students to return to their classrooms on Monday.