“It’s not enough”: Collier County teachers want higher pay in intense talks.

Teachers in Collier County are negotiating for a third day, looking for greater pay from the school district. According to the Collier County Education Association, this is about providing teachers with a living wage rather than luxury.

“They can’t tell us that they can’t afford to pay teachers,” stated Ken Mouton, president of the Collier County Education Association.

On Wednesday, the teachers’ union held its third day of negotiations with the school system. For more than a year, the group has advocated for increased teacher pay, according to a recent article by Mahmoud Bennett of FOX 4.

The district presently pays teachers an average of little more than $69,000, with basic wages starting at $54,000.

“They have over $122 million in their reserve,” Mouton said.

Mouton stated that the present pay cannot keep up with the expense of life. He argues that the district has the funds to compensate teachers more.

“The reason we’re bargaining with such resolve is because teachers are leaving this profession. School districts are not paying them – they refuse to pay them. During this teacher crisis, our district has saved millions of dollars that they can put toward teachers’ salaries.” – Ken Mouton, Collier County Education Assocation

During the most recent negotiation round, the teachers’ union sought a $8,000 salary rise for some teachers. The school system responded with an increase that was less than one-quarter of that amount. The union’s vice president said they absolutely missed the mark.

“Naples is one of the most expensive places in this state to live,” the vice president stated. “When you look at the starting income, many teachers must work two or three jobs to make ends meet. It shouldn’t be this way.”

However, the union remained optimistic coming into Wednesday’s negotiations, stating that it is willing to continue conversations with the school system in order to reach a common ground.

“Coming out of this meeting, we hope to reach some kind of consensus to get teachers a fair, livable wage so we can stop losing our teachers,” Mouton told reporters.

This article originally appeared on FOX 4