Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, the union for DPS teachers, failed to make a deal to avoid a strike Friday night.

DCTA members were expected to vote all day Saturday and Tuesday night on whether to walk out. A two-thirds “yes” vote is needed to authorize a strike.

The earliest a strike could start would be Jan. 28. It would be the first teacher walkout in Denver since 1994.

Among the sticking points are base salaries. DPS is offering $26.5 million in raises – which DPS Superintendent Susan Cordova said averages out to around 10 percent per teacher.

But the union is asking for an additional $8 million – which teachers say is just 1 percent of the district’s budget.

The bargaining also included simplifying the pay system and a clear way for teachers to earn incentives. The teachers’ union says the district is losing good teachers to higher-paying districts.

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