Thirty five years ago, most of Springfield's 1,800 teachers walked off the job in a rare illegal strike by a municipal union.

The strike, which began on April 29, 1980, dragged on for 18 days, resulting in the jailing of 27 teachers and hefty fines for the Springfield Education Association and its members.

In the end, teachers received a 30-month pact with annual raises of between 6 and 6.6 percent, which raised the top of the scale salary for a teacher to $21,980.

Both sides acknowledged at the time that money was not the key stumbling block. The pact provided for improved pupil-teacher ratios, more classroom preparation time and the creation of a sick leave "bank" for serious illness.

It was a dark event that divided teachers - those who went on strike and those who reported for work - and resulted in threats against School Committee members and then Mayor Theodore Dimauro, who called the strike "one of the most serious crises to face this city."