(WXYZ) — The Detroit Public Schools Community District and the Detroit Federation of Teachers reached agreement on a one-year contract.
The parties agreed to confine the negotiations to a one-year term due to the uncertainty of school funding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the third contract agreement between DFT, the current Superintendent and the DPSCD Board of Education over a four-year period
“A lot of people and school districts talk about being “teacher first” or “teacher centric” but they lack the actual track record, experience, commitment and ability to problem solve through complicated budgets and competing interests to make it happen. This administrative team and School Board has delivered on its promise to improve salaries, benefits and working conditions to retain and recruit teachers, even amid a pandemic,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said. “Our work is not done. We must overcome a legacy of inequitable funding to be fully competitive with surrounding districts at every experience level, but it is undeniable that we are making tremendous progress. We will continue to work at this until our teachers are the highest paid in the country. This is what they deserve and more importantly, this is what our children deserve to receive the education they need.”
The district said teachers have incurred steady pay increases since 2017.
DFT members include 4,353-unit members who directly serve students across 54 job classifications primarily functioning as teachers, master teachers, training and support coordinators, and auxiliary staff members such as academic interventionists, attendance agents, counselors, psychologists, social workers and treating therapists.
Below are the negotiated terms of the 2020-2021 One-Year Tentative Agreement under consideration by DFT unit members:
- A one (1) year collective bargaining agreement effective July 1, 2020 and expiring June 30, 2021;
- New teachers hired during the 2020-2021 academic year shall be hired at the step 11 level (base starting salary of $51,071). This shall be the only step movement for these unit members during the 2020-2021 school year;
- New teachers hired during the 2020-2021 academic year with advanced degrees beyond a bachelor’s degree shall be hired at the step 11 level (base starting salary of $58,142 - $58,742). This shall be the only step movement for these unit members during the 2020-2021 school year;
- DFT unit members on the teacher salary schedule currently on steps 1-14 shall move one step on the salary schedule as of the beginning of the 2020-21 school year;
- DFT unit members at the top step of the salary schedule shall receive a base wage increase of 2.74% as of the beginning of the 2020-21 school year;
- All DFT unit members not on the teacher salary schedule with an hourly rate below $15 shall be increased to a minimum hourly rate of $15 per hour as of the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year;
- All other DFT unit members not on the teacher salary schedule shall receive a base wage increase of 2.74% as of the beginning of the 2020-21 school year;
- DFT unit members employed by DPSCD on or before November 17, 2020, and on the payroll at the time the bonus payment is issued, shall receive a $1,500 bonus;
- Retired DFT unit members employed by DPSCD on or before November 17, 2020, and on the payroll at the time the bonus payment is issued, shall receive a $900 bonus;
- Unit members in a long-term substitute position on or before September 24, 2020 who remains continuously employed in a long-term substitute position, that is, without a break in service, until the end of the school year, shall receive a $900 bonus paid on or before June 30, 2021;
- Eid-Al-Fitr shall be a recognized observance on the 2021-2022 academic calendar as negotiated in a separate Letter of Agreement and a calendar template mutually agreed upon by the parties: and
- Nine (9) letters of agreement supportive of academic programs, supplemental assignments, and District initiatives were included as part of the ratification package.
