Menino Projects 212 Teacher Layoffs

Mayor Thomas Menino is ratcheting up the pressure on the Boston Teachers Union to accept a wage freeze.

Menino now says 212 teachers and other classroom workers could lose their jobs next school year, without the wage freeze. That's more than double the amount city officials had been predicting.

The Teachers Union is the largest of 26 city worker unions that have resisted the wage freeze, which Mayor Menino says he needs because of a 131 million dollar city budget deficit.

Union officials say they will resist what they call bullying by the mayor and they want more information about the city's finances before accepting a wage freeze.

18 other unions have gone along with the freeze, saving more than $7 million next year.

City officials say that if all unions forgo raises next year, Boston could save around $42 million.