BELLEVILLE • The Harmony-Emge School District approved a three-year contract with teachers Wednesday night, removing the prospect of a strike but leaving a bitter taste from the process.

In fact, the two sides are having some trouble agreeing publicly on the bottom line of the contract. The school district highlighted salary increases built into the contract, while a teachers union spokesman maintains nearly half of the district's 49 teachers will end up with less money in their pockets.

The contract gives a 0.5 percent increase in base pay in the first year, 1.2 percent in the second year and a step increase in the third year that will average 2.7 percent, according to the district.

There are no steps, or increases based on experience and education, in the first two years, a first in the district to the knowledge of David Comerford of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

He said once changes to insurance plans are factored in, about 40 percent of teachers will be taking home less pay under the new contract.

Christi Flaherty, an attorney for the district, said some of that depends on whether and how much the costs of insurance go up. Increases would be borne by the teachers, but lesser, cheaper coverage than their current health plan is also an option, Flaherty said.

She said there are other parts of the contract that allow teachers to make more money as well, such as rewards for not taking sick days and for National Board Certification.

"The board is pleased that the parties were able to resolve the contract negotiations responsibly, and continues to be proud and supportive of its teaching staff," the School Board said Wednesday in a statement.

But Comerford said teachers feel anything but supported.

He said the district brought in an outside law firm to handle negotiations, unlike in previous years. There were strong words at the bargaining table. And the district went to the media, Comerford said, breaking a gentlemen's agreement not to discuss each side's demands publicly while negotiations were under way.

"(The teachers) are acknowledging these are hard times, but they're an unhappy group about how they were treated," he said.

Flaherty said some of that is just the nature of contract negotiation.

"The tone was very amicable until the last couple of sessions, when we started talking about money," she said. "Unfortunately at that point most contract negotiations turn adversarial. But time heals all wounds. We want to put it behind us and move along."