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was originally reported by Nadra Nittle of .听

As a 鈥減ink-collar profession鈥� 鈥� a nickname given to women-dominated occupations 鈥� teaching has historically paid less than comparable fields requiring a higher education degree, and in Philadelphia, the push to close the wage gap could lead to a strike by the end of the month.

Salaries for Philly teachers 鈥� 鈥� begin at $54,146. That鈥檚 . Now, concern over pay has become a sticking point between the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and the School District of Philadelphia as they negotiate a new contract, with the current collective bargaining agreement expiring August 31.

The its executive board to initiate a strike if the union and the district don鈥檛 agree on a new contract by then. With the deadline imminent and no deal in sight, schools may open on August 25 only for teachers to appear on picket lines within days. A strike could leave working parents in a lurch, scrambling for childcare 鈥� a task moms usually have to complete. Many Philly teachers, however, are also parents and demanding higher salaries to better provide for their families.

PFT President Arthur Steinberg pointed out that even suburban teachers with less education often out-earn Philadelphia鈥檚 top-performing educators by up to $22,000.

鈥淲e would like to close that gap as much as we can with this next contract,鈥� he .

Amid ongoing negotiations, Steinberg appeared with School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington at a welcome event for new teachers on Wednesday.

鈥淲e are optimistic about a successful conclusion by the end-of-the-month deadline, and it’s important to us that all of our employees feel seen, valued and heard,鈥� said Watlington, who called Steinberg a 鈥渢ough negotiator.鈥�

To reach an agreement, Steinberg said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 significant work that has to be done, but it鈥檚 doable.鈥�

Still, union members are prepping for a strike, making protest slogans at the new teacher orientation. A , when teachers walked out for 50 days.

鈥淥ur schools are not safe, they鈥檙e not healthy for anybody to work in or go to school in,鈥� chemistry teacher . 鈥淲e have a hard time with teacher retention and a hard time attracting new talent.鈥�

in 2023 about working in century-old buildings that swelter in early fall heat. Before then, the that the district was not taking robust action to prevent exposing teachers to COVID-19.

The , counselors, school nurses, librarians and other educators. Just , which has garnered nationwide attention since the hit workplace comedy 鈥淎bbott Elementary鈥� 鈥� set in Philly 鈥� debuted in 2021.

In recent years, a number of large urban school districts have gone on strike. They include in March 2023, in September 2022 and in March 2022.

On Friday, the national bus tour of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) will arrive in West Philadelphia to support the PFT ahead of聽a possible strike. The event will be the last of six strike preparation events that have taken place before the teachers head back to work on Monday, a week before the first day of school.

This story was originally published on The 19th.

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