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YOUNGSTOWN -- Negotiators for the Youngstown City School District and Youngstown Education Association union resumed talks Tuesday morning, but appeared no closer to an agreement as of 5 p.m.
After negotiating through the weekend, including Labor Day, the two sides have yet to come to terms and the teachers remain on strike.
The strike began Aug. 23, when the school year was supposed to begin.
Relations between the union and school board have been tense ever since, and over the long weekend appear to have deteriorated further.
Through its spokesperson, Stacey Quinones, Youngstown schools issued a news release asserting that the union, through its spokesperson, Jim Courim, has made inaccurate statements.
Courim has accused the district of stalling and offering no proposals whatsoever.
The news release from YCSD said the two sides made progress on the issue of teacher transfers between buildings, but have been unable to gain ground on a wage dispute, specifically raises.
School district officials stated the district, through Treasurer Bryan Schiraldi, presented information on the budget deficit, the spending of its reserve funds, other neighboring school district raise benchmarks, the decline in enrollment measured against the teaching staff and financial data from the State Labor Board.
Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said the district has offered to bring teachers and students back to school and continue operating under the terms of the current contract while negotiations continue.