Employees in Maryland district agree to give up raises

Employees in theMontgomery County (Md.) school district have agreed to give up a 5 percent pay raise next year, a concession that saves the school system $89 million and enables the district to balance its budget. Employee groups reluctantly agreed to renegotiate their contracts, which were approved in more prosperous times and called for three consecutive increases of about 5 percent each. School officials say it is the first time since the early 1990s that Montgomery school employees had given up a contractual pay raise, a sign of the magnitude of the economic challenge. To read The Washington Post article, click here.