PENN HILLS, Pa. -- More than 400 teachers in the Penn Hills School District are on strike after an emergency negotiation session failed to yield progress on a contract Wednesday.

The teachers started manning a picket line Thursday morning in a walkout that affects more than 5,000 students. Classes have been canceled for the rest of the week.

The Penn Hills Education Association said the school board is seeking a wage freeze and higher teacher contributions for health insurance. The board said the district can't afford more and is trying to avoid raising taxes.

"The process is the process," school board President Joseph Bailey said. "I understand that. There will be a strike. Shame on you for striking and for 80 percent of these teachers not to understand what their union has done to them."

Bailey spoke well after midnight as both sides left the building once negotiations had broken down. He said he's frustrated with the lack of progress coming from the teachers' union.

"They come, they look at our proposal, they provide their proposal," Bailey said. "They may tweak a word or two, but it's really the same proposal, and we are intelligent enough to understand that."

"We are in an economic crisis. We know that," said Ryan Osorio of the Penn Hill Education Association. "We just want to be fairly compensated. You know, we do our jobs. We do it every day. We do the best job that we possibly can to educate the students of Penn Hills."

Osorio, the teachers' union president, said the teachers are at odds against the length of the contract, benefits and salaries.

"That was their original proposal, a two-year freeze. You know the economic status. I mean, everything is going up. My salary is not what it was two years ago," said Osorio.

"If they want to make money, I understand that, but it's screwing our lives over because now we have to spend extra time in school," said Penn Hills senior Josh Sharkey. "But hopefully that will end soon."

All games and classes throughout the district have been canceled in response to the strike.

"I think its a real disadvantage to the children that they haven't come to a deal," parent Cassandra Brown said.

"They're hurting the kids is what they're doing just to better themselves, and I don't agree with it," said parent Toni Martin.

"It's kind of bad that the kids aren't going to have anything to do. It's going to jam a lot of parents up, but at the same time, the teachers need to get paid for their jobs too," parent Ty Brown said.

The teachers have been without a contract since August. They are still at odds with the district over salaries, health care benefits, and the length of the contract. By law they will only be able to strike a few days so students can return in time to receive 180 days of instruction by June 15.

The strike is expected to last five to seven days. Another meeting between the teachers and the school board is scheduled for Friday.

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