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Denver Negotiations at Impass

As many of you have read in the newspaper the DCTA has declared impasse in the current contract bargaining talks.  School Board President, Theresa Peña, said she had hoped teachers would continue the dialog.  Superintendent Bennet said he has concerns about the financial challenges in the DPS and hoped teacher leaders would recognize them.

Even though the District has offered to pay the 3.6% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), their proposal is that some of the increased health care costs and substitute teacher pay come from these funds.  How did we get to this type of adversarial position?  The failure of these negotiations highlights the importance of a strong and effective union.  How have Denver teachers faired during the past few years?  We have compared the results of bargaining on teacher COLA in Denver to Douglas County where AFT bargains the contract.  The chart below shows cost of living  raises and the Consumer Price Index for Denver and the Douglas County Schools, where AFT bargains the contract.

DCTA Negotiated Agreement As Compared To Douglas County Federation Agreement

Salary increases for Denver teachers have fallen below the actual Consumer Price Index for the Denver area, while Douglas County Teachers’ raises have exceeded it.  In order to be competitive, the Denver Public Schools needs to offer salaries that will attract and keep the best teachers in the district.  DFT is committed to professional compensation and treatment for teachers in DPS and will continue to work toward that end.