ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Representatives with the Classroom Teachers Association spent Monday night tallying votes cast by teachers on the latest contract proposal from Orange County Public Schools.
A union worker said 4,874 ballots were revived by CTA, and volunteers spent most of the afternoon verifying their authenticity.
The contract proposed by OCPS included a $500 cost-of-living increase, performance raises for teachers who were classified as "highly effective," and a comprehensive insurance package with an added $500 bonus.
Some teachers worried an increase in insurance premiums would mean a pay cut in the end.
"We need to be respected, we need to be treated as professionals," said Wendy Doromal, president of CTA.
She said much of the blame for budget cuts lies in Tallahassee, where she said reform needs to start.
"It is a challenge to try to get crumbs — accept crumbs — when that is all that’s offered," she said. "We need Tallahassee to offer a full meal for our teachers not crumbs."
As of 10 p.m. Monday, workers were still counting votes.
This is a developing story. Stay with News 6 and clickorlando.com.