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NEW YORK, NY September 23, 2005 —As the battle for Gracie Mansion heats up, pressure on both the city and the teachers' union to reach a contract deal grows every day. WNYC's City Hall reporter Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: From the outside looking in-- the Bloomberg Administration and the UFT seem unable to agree on anything---even something as basic as how to describe the status of their negotiations. Mayor Bloomberg.

BLOOMBERG: We had a bargaining session with the UFT yesterday. We talked to the UFT virtually everyday. This continues I have said again again I am optimistic we will get a new contract for the teachers

REPORTER: UFT President Randy Weingarten.

WEINGARTEN: There has not been one official bargaining session since October 8 2004.

REPORTER: Earlier this month a non-binding state mediator called for an 11 percent raise for teachers over three years along with work rule changes including a longer school day and making it easier for managment to reassign teachers regardless of their seniority. The teachers have been without a contract for well over two years and union leadership is talking strike for the first time in years.