Detroit — Members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers ratified a new two-year contract with the state’s largest school system on Wednesday, with union leaders touting that they secured additional protections and record compensation for educators.
DFT President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins said over 80% of the roughly 2,600 members who cast a ballot voted to approve the tentative agreement with the Detroit Public Schools Community District. If approved by the school board, with a vote expected at the July meeting, the contract would go through June 30, 2028. The current contract is set to expire on Tuesday.
Wilson-Lumpkins said the negotiation “really was addressing the realities of our members.”
The deal provides the first paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents, reimbursing members up to six weeks of their sick leave when taken for having a child, including through adoption.
“Returning those six weeks of time back to you, that’s paramount to your experience in the workplace,” Wilson-Lumpkins said.
The pact adds two new steps to the pay scale, giving staff incentives to remain longer in their careers, and all members will move up a step each year of the contract. Previously, teachers had been frozen at their step level during the days of state-appointed emergency management, Wilson-Lumpkins said.
Multiple contracts now have raised teachers’ pay, which in 2017 maxed out at $65,000 a year, she said. Now, the highest annual salary in the unit will be $100,100, a record, Wilson-Lumpkins said.
The base salary for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree is also increasing from $55,000 to $57,400.
“The goal is to raise our salaries and get our members, many of our young members, to stay,” Wilson-Lumpkins said. “The goal is not to work in the district for one or two years. We want our members to stay, make this a career, make this a home.”
AI rules added in new teachers’ union contract
The union also secured new language around the use of artificial intelligence. Wilson-Lumpkins said the district “felt like we were a bit premature for addressing” AI, “but I felt like we were quite behind.” She said the language preserves teachers’ ability to make decisions for students on recommendations for services, grading and placement.
“We want to preserve the humanity in our workspace and what we do,” Wilson-Lumpkins said. “We do not want a computer identifying a student for anything. That is our professional judgment that we have been highly trained for.”
DFT represents over 5,000 members in 50 various job classifications and certifications, including teachers, but also counselors, social workers, nurses, paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel.
The Detroit district said it was working on a statement in response to the union’s ratification of the contract. Voting by union members ended at 3 p.m. Wednesday, with the results announced shortly after.
District approves school budget despite funding uncertainty
The vote to ratify the contract comes a week after the school board approved the 2026-27 budget, despite not yet having a state budget approved to know how much funding will be provided. The budget will be amended in the fall when the state budget passes.
The public budget documents predicted a surplus of about $13 million by the end of next school year, and noted investments in teachers as well as security, but foretold harder decisions to come. The 2026-27 budget includes $15 million in one-time state grant awards that aren’t guaranteed to continue.
“Long-term, the District will need to consider phasing out more smaller and underutilized schools to reduce operating costs,” DPSCD’s budget proposal stated. “The District will also need to be prepared to reduce services once specific state grants are discontinued, such as those supporting student mental health, nurses, or additional security.”
The Detroit district set a new high for its graduation rate in the 2024-25 school year, the most recent known year of data, at 83.2%, just a hair below the state average of 84%.
The district is also in the process of a significant overhaul of the high school experience, working to put every student on a track for a career or to further their education after they graduate.
Ninth-grade students this fall will all take a freshman seminar class to help them explore career and college opportunities, understand financial aid and learn about the new diplomas they will earn through the district, in addition to their Michigan diploma. Students will be able to earn one of four new diplomas focused on the arts, dual enrollment, advanced placement classes or a career certification.
The district has also worked to use surplus funding and federal pandemic relief money to improve school buildings, including new construction, renovations and the addition of air conditioning.
jpignolet@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit teachers’ union touts benefit, pay gains in ratified contract
Reporting by Jennifer Pignolet, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Jennifer Pignolet, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
