Teachers in the Palmerton Area School District have a new four-year contract.

On a unanimous vote, the school board on Tuesday accepted a fact finder report from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.Afterward, Palmerton Area Education Association President Tom Smelas said that the report has been agreed to by both parties."We have a contract," Smelas said. "It's been a long two-and-a-half years; both sides worked real hard, and this is the end result."Smelas added, "A third party came in and gave a recommendation, and the two sides agreed to it."Board President Tammy Recker was ecstatic."I am beyond myself," Recker said. "Our negotiating team worked very, very hard."Recker added that things can now move forward.The contract runs from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2016.Based on the terms of the fact-finder's recommendation, the contract calls for a pay freeze in 2012-13; retroactive to July 1, 2013, plus 0.5 percent plus step in 2013-14; 0.65 percent plus step in 2014-15; and 1 percent plus step in 2015-16.The salary charts, prepared by the PSEA Technical Department per the fact-finder's direction, should result in about a 9.26 percent increase over the life of the contract, including step increment.Earlier this week, the report was accepted by the school board, and rejected by the PAEA.At a hearing on Feb. 12, the state mediator issued a proposal that called for a four-year contract.Before the approval of the new contract, teachers had been working without an agreement since their three-year contract expired in June 2012.That contract called for a 3 percent increase in teachers' salaries.Since then, both the district and the PAEA found themselves mired in contract negotiations.Most recently, both parties agreed to ask a state mediator for a recommended proposal.In December, the PAEA rejected a counter offer from Palmerton Area School Board.On Oct. 21, the state mediator issued a recommended proposal that called for a four-year contract with a 3 percent increase in teachers' salaries.As part of that proposal, teachers would see no salary increase in 2012-13; 2.87 percent in 2013-14(back to September); 3.02 percent in 2014-15; and 3.37 percent increase in 2015-16.On Nov. 14, the district accepted the state mediator's proposal.But, on Nov. 18, the PAEA rejected the proposal, at which time the district re-implemented its last best offer and final offer, and again took back wages off the table.