Classes Resume in Allegheny Valley

94 teachers in the Allegheny Valley School District ended their 20 day strike and returned to the classrooms today. Under state law, the teachers had to go back to work today in order for the students to get the minimum 180 class days by June 15, 2011. The old contract expired June 30 of this year. District supervisors have been teaching seniors the last 10 days so they can graduate on time.
Now the school district and the teachers union enter into nonbinding arbitration and teachers cannot resume their strike during that period that could last 40 days. Union spokesman Butch Santicola of the Pennsylvania State Education Association says that could help....
"The positives are the inclusion of outside people to evaluate the situation. It's a positive but also a gamble because you don't know what the third party is going to determine."
Unless the nonbinding arbitration results in a contract, the teachers could strike again.