School District of Philadelphia, teachers union reach tentative deal for new contract
School District of Philadelphia, teachers union reach tentative deal for new contract
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The School District of Philadelphia and its teachers union have reached a tentative deal for a three-year contract, both parties announced Sunday night.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the district reached a “historic tentative contract agreement” Sunday evening, a joint statement from the school district and PFT says. Before the agreement, the union was preparing for a possible strike when its contract ended on Aug. 31.
“The PFT is thrilled that we have been able to reach a tentative agreement with the School District of Philadelphia on a three-year pact ensuring that school will open on time, as well as three years of labor peace,” PFT President Arthur G. Steinberg said in the statement. “This contract recognizes the hard work and dedication our members bring to the district and allows them to have peace of mind that they will be able to provide for their families while continuing to educate the children of the School District of Philadelphia.”
In the statement, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington said the agreement “both honors the hard work of our educators and maintains our record of strong financial stewardship.”
The details of the contract have not yet been released. Union members still have to vote and ratify the contract.
The deal comes the night before the first day of school for Philly’s roughly 198,000 district students.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers represents 14,000 education professionals including teachers, librarians, school nurses, counselors, social workers and others.
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