BELLEVILLE -- The 49 teachers in the Belleville-based Harmony-Emge School District voted this afternoon to approve a contract with the district, avoiding a possible strike that could have come as early as this week.

The multi-year contract gives nearly half of the teachers a pay cut, according to Dave Comerford of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He declined to give other details of the contract until it is ratified by the district.

Comerford said the teachers approved the contract despite concerns about the terms of the deal and anger about the way the district handled negotiations.

"Forty percent are taking a pay cut, will have less money in their pocket than they did last year," Comerford said. "They want people to realize the teachers are making these sacrifices for the good of students and the community, but they're very disappointed with the tactics of the district, the district's attorney and school management."

Comerford said a simple majority was needed to approve the contract, and teachers didn't want the final tally revealed even to themselves, to speak with one voice and avoid division.

"The district says they respect teachers," Comerford said. "Well, they didn't show it. Actions speak louder than words."

The district plans to approve the contract Wednesday.

"We're pleased with the results of the vote," said Christi Flaherty, an attorney for the district. "We're anxious to get it approved tomorrow. We're anxious to get everyone back in the classroom and get back to the business of education."

The district has an elementary and middle school and about 725 students.

The union had already filed an intention to strike that paved the way for teachers to stop going to work as early as today. The last time both sides sat down together was for five hours on Saturday when the school district delivered its last, best and final offer.

Last week, over the objections of the teacher's union, the district declared negotiations at a formal impasse and released salary and benefit demands of both parties. Comerford said both sides were making progress and negotiations had only been underway for two months. The district had no legal right to declare impasse, disclose negotiation points nor force a final offer, he said.

Neither side has disclosed the specific terms of the final offer voted on this evening, though Flaherty indicated the district had sweetened the pot from an earlier offer.

She released information that indicated that at one point the union wanted a 2.75 percent salary increase as well as step increases for the current school year that would amount to about a 5.2 percent increase overall. For the 2011-12 school year, the teachers wanted a 2.5 percent increase in addition to step increases. The district would also continue to pay all health insurance for teachers and 90 percent for their families under the union proposal.

Flaherty said the school district at one point proposed a salary freeze for the current academic year and a 1 percent raise with no step increases in 2011-12. The district said it also would continue to pay 100 percent of individual teacher insurance, but cap family insurance at $600 per month. Flaherty said today the district had improved on that offer in the contract to be voted on tonight.

Comerford said the terms she cited were not correct, but declined to get into any specific salary or benefit figures.

According to the state board of education, teachers in the district earned a $67,652 yearly salary in 2009, 9 percent more than the state average of $61,402.

Flaherty said the district is operating at a deficit, expects continued reduced state funding and is limited on what it can offer its teachers.

"Across the board programs are being cut back, and we're just asking the teachers to bear that burden with the rest of the district," she said. "We absolutely support our teachers. Unfortunately we can't continue to afford the kind of raises they are getting - not in this economy."

Comerford said the teachers have been responsible in their demands.

"Teachers understand the economic condition," he said. "They know the finances of the district, and they believe they haven't asked for anything the district can't afford."

Greg Jonsson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.