Must Ratify Two-year Agreement

A tentative agreement on a two-year contract was reached at 6 a.m. today after a 10-hour marathon session by bargaining teams for the Board of Education and the Ann Arbor Education Association. The tentative settlement greatly reduces the threat of a teacher strike here this f all. The agreement must be ratified by both sides beforé it becomes binding. State mediator Robert Blackwell, called in by both parties to medíate the dispute, presided over the all-night session. Seven school board trustees also attended the entire session, held at the Statler Hilton Inn. The terms of the agreement have not yet ben revealed, but it is certain local teachers will receive a hike in their salary and fringe benefit packages. The details of the agreement are scheduled to be disclosed tomorrow. The bargaining teams were to meet at 3:30 p.m. today to hammer out final details of the contract. The two-year contract, if ratified, will be the first multiyear contract in the history of the school system. It would extend through the 1969-70 school year. Spokesmen for both teams expressed pleasure at reaching a tentative agreement. Thomas W. Hill, the profesisonal negotiator for the Board of Education hired last month, said he was "really elated." Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., who also attended the 10-hour session, said he was "grateful" for the tentative settlement. He praised Blackwell and Hill for their "effective roles" in settling the dispute, and lauded the teachers for their "earnestness" in wanting to resolve the disagreement. AAEA President Harold Col-i Ilins said, "I think we have a good contract. I'm sure it will be one of the better ones in the Istate- in all respects." Collins said copies of the 1 tative agreement will be 1 ed and mailed "as soon as 1 sible" to the 900-plus members I of the association so the 1 bership can scrutinize the I tract prior to voting on it." Collins said he does not plan to schedule a ratification vote by mail, except for those ers who cannot attend a mass ratification meeting late this month. The meeting will probably be held on or after Aug. 29, Collins said. A majority vote is necessary for ratification. A formal ratification vote will probably be scheduled sóon by the Board of Education, but the quorum of trustees who attended the all-night session virtually assures that the contract will be ratified by the board. The Board of Education and the teachers' association were approximately $800,000 apart when mediation began. The teachers were requcsting a salary range from $6,500 to $11,500 for a teacher with a bachelor's degree, and from $7,150 to $12,350 for a teacher with a master's- a total package of $1,155,000. Last year, the standing salary for a teacher with a BA was $6,000; for a teacher with an MA, $6,300. The board was offering a package totaling $353,000. This included a range of $6,300 to $10,140 for teachers with a BA degree, and from $6,610 to $11,310 for an MA. A state mediator was jointly requested July 23 when it became apparent the two sides were stalemated on economie issues. Most non-economie items had already been settled. Blackwell, a veteran mediator, helped the Saline Board of Education and the Saline Education Association reach a contract settlement last week. Blackwell arrived in Ann Arbor Tuesday morning and met p r i v a t e 1 y with both teams throughout the rest of that day. Last night's session, which began at 8 p.m., was the second time Blackwell mediated the negotiations.