JERSEY CITY — Jersey City teachers are inching closer toward striking for the first time since a five-day strike in 1998 that caused pandemonium citywide.

The teachers union, which has been battling the 29,000-student school district over health care costs, voted yesterday to authorize a strike as a last resort, according to two sources with knowledge of the vote. Teachers have worked under an expired contract since the beginning of the school year and a deal for a new pact does not appear close.

Parents picking up their children today at School 27, an elementary school in the Heights, said they support the school's teachers but are not excited about the prospect of a strike.

"They deserve the money for all the things they do with the kids. I'm not sure if they should strike," said Julmin Cintron, who has two children in first and fourth grades. "That's a decision they have to make."

"It'll be good for them but bad for us," said Melissa, the mom of a seven-year-old boy. She declined to give her last name.

It's not clear how serious last night's vote is. In 1998, a similar vote came about three weeks before the strike began.

Ron Greco, the JCEA president, did not return requests for comment. The union issued a statement from Greco last night saying the nine-member Jersey City Board of Education "continues to procrastinate and delay." The two sides met on Saturday for their latest negotiation session.

"Our educators want to take the JCBOE at their word that they want to settle a fair contract at the table," Greco said in the statement. "We want nothing more than to get back to work under a contract that respects the expertise of our members and the need for affordable health care."

The union seeks what it calls "Chapter 78 relief," referring to the 2011 New Jersey law that forced teachers to contribute to their health care premiums. Since then, the amount teachers pay for their health benefits has risen from nearly zero to $19.9 million. The district's total cost for employee health benefits is $98.9 million.

Chapter 78 forced teachers to pay premiums equal to a portion of their pay, anywhere from 3 to 35 percent.

District spokeswoman Maryann Dickar told The Jersey Journal that the district's 40 schools will remain open.

"We have been bargaining in good faith with the union for months now and we remain committed to finding a resolution that meets the needs of our 4,100 employees, the district, our students and the taxpayers," Dickar said. "We value our teachers and we know that our teachers and staff are dedicated to serving our students."

Teachers at recent rallies and school board meetings have said health care costs are eating up an increasingly larger portion of their pay. Some say Jersey City will no longer be an affordable home for many of its teachers.

Negotiations between the school board and the union have been going on for at least six months. Last week a side battle erupted between Greco and Mayor Steve Fulop after police officers ticketed motorists honking their support for protesting teachers. The city says it ticketed five motorists.

Greco's statement from last night said Fulop's "progressive values apparently run only skin deep." In response, city spokeswoman Hannah Peterson said Greco "needs to stop pointing fingers because he failed his membership and is unable to secure a contract for them."

The BOE is meeting for a special session on Friday at 5 p.m. Its president, Sudhan Thomas, told The Jersey Journal the board is mindful of "the realities of the 2017-18 budget" and its "central role in everything."



"We are currently spending close to $100 million annually on health care costs and are working on a robust, comprehensive affordable health care plan that will benefit the 4,000 employees of the JCBOE and importantly cut our health insurance operating costs significantly," Thomas said. "We look forward to sharing details of this health care plan shortly."

The 1998 teacher strike led to short-term chaos. After opening schools on the first day with substitute teachers, the district closed high schools by midmorning after students began misbehaving and in some cases assaulting each other and some teachers. Elementary schools were open for half-days but after four days, nearly three-quarters of students weren't going to school. A judge stepped in and ordered teachers to return to work. They did, after agreeing to a new, three-year contract.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.