EAST PROVIDENCE — A Superior Court judge yesterday did not hear the local teacher union’s plea to stop the district from unilaterally reducing its educators’ salaries and making them pay for the first time toward their health insurance costs.

The precedent-setting changes, and others, were put into effect yesterday. School Committee Chairman Anthony Carcieri announced them late Friday afternoon while stating the district had to do something to “stop the bleeding” from its financial problems.

The district has a $4.2-million deficit that school and city officials said is growing “every day.” Carcieri also said the city tapped every other area it could to save money, and trimming teacher costs was their last resort.

The East Providence Education Association — which represents the city’s more than 500 teachers — requested the emergency court hearing early yesterday, but it wasn’t scheduled by the close of business.

Union representative Jeanette Woolley said she hopes a judge will hear the union’s argument this morning. The union will seek “injunctive relief,” which is similar to a restraining order, which would bar the district from putting the changes into effect.

The changes include scaling back the teachers’ base salaries nearly 5 percent to the levels of more than two years ago. Longevity and advanced-degree bonuses have also been reduced.

The teachers will also begin paying 20 percent toward health-insurance premiums. They don’t pay anything now. And the controversial buyback clause that used to give teachers up to $5,100 for not taking the city’s health insurance has been eliminated completely.

Carcieri said the changes will save the district about $3 million, but it’s “still not enough.”

Union lawyer John Leidecker said, “We believe that their actions are unlawful.”

Leidecker said state law says districts should adhere to the old contract until a new one is executed, and there aren’t exceptions for a fiscal crisis.

The union filed an unfair labor charge against the School Committee yesterday, which is the second since negotiations broke down in the fall. In September, the School Committee filed two similar complaints against the union.

“I understand that Mr. Carcieri was on the radio [Saturday], and regarding the possibility of court action, said, ‘Bring it on,’ ” Leidecker wrote in an e-mail Saturday night. “That statement is indicative of the approach Mr. Carcieri has taken. It has nothing to do with negotiating or respecting the arbitration process or education.”

A union meeting to discuss the latest developments with the teachers is planned for 3 p.m. tomorrow in the high school auditorium. It is closed to the public.

apina@projo.com