LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- A lot of smiles on people's faces, today. It's been more than nine months of going back and forth. It appears using a mediator worked to resolve this issue.
Today, there's a tentative agreement on the table.
Behind closed doors, the Little Rock Education Association asked for salary increases and compensation for health insurance.
"They have health insurance that has been traditionally paid for under the individual plan," says Peggy Nabors, director of legal services for the Arkansas Education Association.
Nabors represents the union, which finally came to an agreement with the Little Rock School District Wednesday. She says she can't give us the details until the contract is ratified.
District Assistant Superintendent Daniel Whitehorn says mediators played a key role in ending negotiations positively.
"We had to clearly understand each other's position. It took a while to kind of develop for that to play out for us to get all of the facts and them to get all of the facts," says Whitehorn.
Nabors says employees under the individual health insurance plan are paying $17 more a month. Plus, there's been no salary increase until Wednesday's negotiations.
"So, teachers are actually taking home less than they did last year," says Nabors.
Nabors says she hopes to meet with union members this week to ratify the contract.
After that, we'll find out what they agreed to.