Denver teachers vow to strike unless deal is reached

Denver teachers are vowing to walk off the job Monday unless they can reach a last-minute pay agreement with school leaders.

Gov. Jared Polis’ administration decided Wednesday against intervening in the fight, giving teachers the legal right to strike. Both Polis and Joe Barela, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, say the teachers and the district are not that far apart.

Rob Gould, the lead negotiator for the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, says teachers don’t want to strike, but they will get to a better deal.

Teachers are fighting for more money in their base pay instead of bonuses they say makes it hard for them to predict their income.

Negotiations are tentatively scheduled for Friday.