Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers ratify new contract with district

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Pittsburgh Public School District that covers teachers and other professionals through June 30, 2024.

Members of the federation voted to ratify the agreement with 87.8% approval on Monday. The PPS Board of School Directors will vote on whether to approve the contract on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers president Nina Esposito-Visgitis issued a statement saying the agreement “advances teachers and other professionals economically, secures our high-quality healthcare and rewards our tireless, versatile educators with an agreement worthy of their patience, effort and hard work.”

“This agreement has been a long time coming, and has not been without its unique challenges and sacrifices. The compromises we made gave the district the flexibility they needed this year, and were critical to securing this agreement. We continue to work daily on securing similar beneficial contracts for our Paraprofessional and Technical-Clerical bargaining units, and look forward to similar announcements for those constituencies very soon.”

District Superintendent Anthony Hamlet also issued a statement Monday, saying the agreement brings the district closer to the return of students five days a week.

“This pandemic has been difficult on us all, and the one group that truly stepped up to the challenge was our teachers. From the abrupt transition to remote instruction to physical distancing challenges in the classroom, our teachers’ lives were turned upside-down by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to have reached an agreement that honors their professionalism and commitment to Pittsburgh Public Schools students and families.”

The agreement also approved adjustments to school start and end times. The statement added, “Allowing us to implement a multi-tiered busing schedule that will increase the number of routes one driver can make, narrowing the seat gap. I am truly grateful to these invaluable employees and hopeful for the upcoming school year and beyond.”

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