Some schools, including Cardinal Hayes and Cardinal Spellman, both in the Bronx, decided to send their students home at 11 a.m., said Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling.
It was not immediately known how many of the teachers stayed out. Both the archdiocese and the Lay Faculty Association said final figures would be available later Thursday.
Union business manager Henry Kielkucki said early reports indicated that 300 teachers called in sick.
Zwilling said the archdiocese's early reports showed that the number of teachers who stayed out ranged widely from school to school.
For example, seven out of 39 teachers stayed out at John F. Kennedy High School in Somers in Westchester County and 46 out of 52 called in sick at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County.
All the "sickout" would serve to do is disrupt students' day and cost teachers a day's wages, Zwilling said.
A total of 420 teachers, including the 375 union members, work at the 10 schools, in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Goshen, Poughkeepsie, Hartsdale, White Plains and Somers.
They have been without a contract since Aug. 31.
Zwilling said the two sides last met with a mediator in December. He said the union rejected its "last, best and final" offer, which called for salary hikes of 17 to 19 1/2 percent over three years for a top salary of $58,000. Top-paying teachers now make $54,000. The offer also called for teachers to contribute to the cost of their health care.
No new talks have been scheduled.
The union represents teachers at Catholic high schools in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Goshen, Poughkeepsie, Hartsdale, White Plains and Somers.
List of affected High Schools:
New York City:
Westchester:
Dutchess:
Orange:
