Philadelphia teachers' union and school district to resume negotiations Thursday as contract nears expiration
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has already authorized a strike if it cannot reach a new contract with the School District of Philadelphia by Aug. 31 — the date the current contract expires, just a few days into the 2025-26 school year. It would mark the first teachers' strike in Philadelphia in more than 40 years.
On Wednesday, union leaders held a news conference on where labor talks with the district stand, with the first day of school — Aug. 25 — less than two weeks out.
The union, which represents teachers, nurses and other staff, says it's still waiting on a contract and wants the district to meet its demands. They reiterated plans to go on strike if the district and union can not reach a new deal.
PFT President Arthur Steinberg said the two sides are starting to make progress on some issues, but the main sticking point is wages and salaries. The district and union walked away from the bargaining table without a deal on Tuesday. Both sides are set to resume negotiations on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the district has been losing staff members to suburban schools that offer higher pay and more competitive benefits, Steinberg said.
"If you want to be competitive in recruiting staff members, and now for the first time retaining them, your wages have to be on par," Steinberg said, noting that teachers don't come to Philadelphia to get wealthy teaching, but need to feed their families and send their children to college.
PFT has also called for the district to end its sick leave policy that requires educators to meet with their principal after using three days. The union is also calling for paid parental leave, penalty pay for teachers with oversized classes and restoration of school libraries.
Last week, Steinberg said the union does not want to strike, but the 14,000-member group was "not even close" to reaching a deal with the school district.
Members have already gathered to make picket signs, and further strike preparation events are planned for each day this week.
"I've seen my union siblings give blood, sweat and tears every single day, sometimes, also literally to do all this, and why? It's not because of our contract, it's because we know our students are worth it," Kate Sundeen, a teacher at Academy of Palumbo High School in South Philadelphia, said. "We know our students are deserving."
Asked for a comment on Wednesday's news conference, the School District of Philadelphia said this statement on the negotiations from last week still stands:
"The School District of Philadelphia highly values its teachers and support staff and continues to actively participate in conversations with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and engage in good faith negotiations with the hope of securing a new contract as soon as possible. More than 50 years of research shows that the single most important factor in student academic growth is a highly qualified, well-supported and stable teacher as well as principal over time. We look forward to working with the PFT on a proposal that honors the hard work of our educators. As we approach the expiration of the current contract, we're optimistic that we can reach an agreement with PFT that serves our students, our staff, and our families."
School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington said plans are in place if the union does go on strike, but he is confident a deal will get done.
"This is a school district where we always have contingency plans in place for scenario A, B and C," he said. "Right now, I feel absolutely optimistic that plan A is going to be — we hope a successful conclusion to all three labor negotiations."