Denver teachers walk out over pay

Denver teachers went on strike Monday after they failed to reach a deal with administrators on a pay raise. The strike is the first for Denver’s more than 4,000 teachers in 25 years.

Denver’s schools remain open and will be staffed by administrators and substitute teachers, the district said, though it canceled classes for 5,000 preschool children. In at least one school, students walked out of class in support of their teachers. Another negotiation session is expected Tuesday to resolve the main disagreements, including whether to lower bonuses to raise teachers’ base pay and how to provide increased salaries based on education and training.

“They need us. They need our labor, they need our minds, they need our talents to really make it happen,” lead union negotiator Rob Gould said. The walkout will cost about $400,000 a day, according to the state. The strike follows last month’s teacher strike in Los Angeles that resulted in teachers there getting a 6 percent raise, among other benefits.