Thousands of New York City teachers, members of the United Federation of Teachers, rallied at City Hall after school May 17. Teachers, who have been working without a contract since Nov. 15, 2000, are demanding raises of at least 20 percent over two years to bring their pay closer to what teachers in suburban areas earn. New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani has attacked the teachers union for opposing individual of "merit pay" and other measures that would undercut seniority and make teachers more vulnerable to management reprisals. Many teachers expressed concern with large class size and scant resources. Cody Onufrock, 24, who is just completing his first year teaching science, said, "With 34 kids in my class it's virtually impossible to keep up, just because of the sheer numbers. And I couldn't get books for the students."
--MAGGIE TROWE
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