In a dramatic turnabout applauded last night by union and school officials, Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers and other professional employees voted overwhelmingly to accept the same contract proposal they rejected three weeks ago.

The 1,547-to-870 vote paves the way for Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's academic agenda.

Yet approval of the pact disappointed a vocal minority in the union who had insisted the district and the union leadership could have given them more.

"Every contract has its strengths, and every contract could be better," Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President John Tarka said after ballots were counted last night at union offices on the South Side.

Counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and teachers in the 3,125-member bargaining unit had mailed in ballots over the past week.

The two-year contract gives $3,000 raises to members at the top of the 10-step salary scale and will give previously established step increases -- worth up to $20,000 -- to less senior members moving along the scale.

Top-scale pay for a teacher with a master's degree will increase to $73,500, with the possibility of extra money for special duties, special certification and longevity.

The contract holds the line on the percentage union members contribute for health insurance premiums. It establishes a union-district task force to study containment of health-care costs and steps up school-safety efforts.

The school board approved the contract March 29 and doesn't have to vote again, Mr. Roosevelt said.

Mr. Tarka twice had urged ratification of the district's offer.

On March 29, members voted 869-763 to reject the proposal after a stormy membership meeting at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland. Members said they didn't like the terms or Mr. Tarka's requirement that they vote immediately after having the proposal explained to them.

Mr. Tarka said union officials decided to present the offer a second time because they considered it the best deal possible given the district's financial and academic problems. He said a re-vote would give members time to digest the proposal and the union time to clear up misconceptions about the offer.

Union officials said the second balloting was done by mail to encourage more members to vote, and they hoped to tap what they believed were large numbers of satisfied members who didn't turn out for the vote at Soldiers and Sailors for one reason or another.

The approach paid off. While the number of "yes" votes increased by 784, the number of "no" votes increased only by one, although opponents had circulated e-mails and established a Web page urging rejection a second time.

"I'm pleased that we have this outcome," Mr. Tarka said. "I think it was an extremely important vote. I appreciate the strong response by the members."

The union vote was historic for more than one reason. It marked the first contract delivered by Mr. Tarka, who took over the union after longtime union President Al Fondy died in May. It preserved a three-decade streak without a teachers strike.

Mr. Roosevelt said the vote "frees us to work collaboratively on our mutual ambitions," such as increasing student achievement after three years of low test scores.

Without a contract, Mr. Roosevelt had said, he could not pay teachers for the longer day or extended year planned for eight new schools, called accelerated learning academies. He had raised the possibility of paying teachers for the regular school day and paying outside parties to provide the extra learning time, a proposal immediately opposed by the union.

Mr. Tarka said union members want to play a role in the district turnaround and also want to be recognized for a job that gets "harder and harder and more challenging."

After results were announced last night, Mr. Tarka's opponents vowed to continue their fight.

Pete Mamula, a teacher at Oliver High School, said he would run for vice president in the next union election and expects other challenges to Mr. Tarka's slate of officers.

"It's a substandard contract," Mr. Mamula said. Like other opponents, he said union leaders forced the contract on an hesitant membership.

Keith Schwartz, a teacher at Carrick High School, and Mike Andreychak, a teacher at South Hills Middle School, said it was wrong for the union to call for a re-vote on the same proposal.

Mr. Schwartz said some teachers didn't receive ballots and got the cold shoulder when they called the union to complain.

Mr. Andreychak said he wanted something longer than a two-year contract -- expiring June 30, 2007 -- because the parties soon will have to begin work on the next agreement.

On a Web site, opponents had posted an alternative proposal: a three-year deal with bigger raises for teachers at the top of the scale and more money at each step of the scale.

Under the new contract, members will continue to get step increases, but the value of each step remains unchanged.

Janice Motley, a teacher at the gifted center, echoed Mr. Tarka's thoughts about the contract. It would be nice to have more, she said, but the deal is acceptable under the circumstances.

Kathleen Stock, speech-language teacher at Minadeo Elementary, said she believes the union got the best agreement possible.

"No. 1, I have complete confidence in our executive board," she said. "They would not bring us something if they could have gotten more.

"No. 2, it's a damn fine product. I was perfectly happy with the financial terms, and I was even happier with the non-economic terms, which seems to elude some people," she said, citing what she described as a weakening of management rights in some areas of the agreement.