The Denver teachers strike is over. They won.
The Denver teachers strike is over. They won.
Denver teachers snagged $23 million in pay raises during a three-day strike.
By Alexia Fernández Campbell@AlexiaCampbellalexia@vox.com Feb 14, 2019, 12:40pm EST
Denvers teachers may soon be returning to school.
More than 2,000 educators, who have been on strike since Monday, said they reached a tentative deal Thursday with the local school district.
Details are not yet available, but the deal includes an average 11.7 percent pay raise and annual cost of living increases, according to the school district and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, a labor union representing more than 5,000 educators in Denver public schools. It will also include raises for school support staff. Bus drivers and cafeteria workers may also get a raise, but thats not part of the official agreement with the teachers union.
It also addresses the teachers biggest concern: the need to overhaul the merit-pay system, which relies heavily on annual bonuses that fluctuate from year to year. The new system will place more emphasis on education and training when considering promotions, while keeping some bonuses in place.
Where will they find the $23 million to pay for this? The district agreed to cut back on administrative costs, and will eliminate about 150 positions in the schools central office. Five-figure bonuses for senior school administrators will also come to an end.
The pact was reached after an all-night negotiation marathon between the union and school administrators. Henry Roman, president of the union, described it as a historic deal. No longer will our students see their education disrupted because their teachers cannot afford to stay in their classrooms, Roman said in a statement Monday morning.
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https://www.vox.com/2019/2/14/18224848/denver-teachers-strike-over-deal