Dover Teachers Union contract approved after long impasse on how to spend $1.8 million
DOVER — The Dover Teachers Union now has a contract, following the City Council’s unanimous approval Wednesday night.
Last week, the union and the city School Board reached what both sides call a compromise, after months of negotiations being at an impasse. Both parties had similar goals in respect to increasing teacher salaries, but each had different plans for how to allocate the $1.8 million slated for raises.
In this new salary schedule, teachers across the board will receive a roughly 4% increase in pay, compared to the existing salary schedule. The new salary schedule retains 17 steps in the pay scale, with teachers moving up a step as they gain years of experience, and gives raises across the board.
How raises will be distributed: Dover Teachers Union, School Board agree on contract
There was minimal discussion by the council on the matter Wednesday night.
School Board Chair Carolyn Mebert spoke during a public forum to urge the City Council to approve the contract.
“It was a compromise and we’ve worked hard for it,” Mebert said during the meeting. “We are about to move into new negotiations and this provides us with a good basis.”
In Somersworth: Omnium Brewing owner has big plans, replacing Bad Lab
Councilor Fergus Cullen said he had hoped to see a three-year contract instead of a one-year deal. While Cullen criticized the union's public rhetoric during the negotiation process, he supported the new contract generally.
The council vote is a formality, since it is a union contract. The salary schedule was approved by the School Board and union prior to it coming before the council.
Deputy Mayor Dennis Shanahan reiterated to the council that while the agreement was slightly over the amount the council appropriated, there are no additional budget amendments or any kind of additional tax collection required. It is up to the district to fund that out of their existing budget.
Sports: Dover senior Charlotte Albert always brings 'positive energy' to the volleyball court
The district has previously stated the agreement is over the $1.8 million the City Council earmarked for the raises by $12,000. Mebert said the district isn’t concerned, because the wage study cost is lower than expected, and it expects there are other areas or unexpected cost savings they can pool together to make up the difference.
This contract accomplishes an increase in starting salary for teachers, while also supporting teachers with more experience. For example, a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in the current salary schedule would earn $37,000 in their first year. In this new agreement, their starting salary would be $40,000. The following year, that same teacher would move up a step and earn $41,482.
It also raises what longtime tenured teachers are making, too. In the current salary, a teacher with a bachelor’s degree reaching step 17, after 17 years’ experience, makes $68,000. In this new contract, that same teacher would earn $71,584. While these numbers vary based on the degree the teacher holds, this is a baseline number.
The union and district will soon begin negotiations for the next contract, which they expect to be a three-year contract. Mebert told the council that the wage study, which is currently underway, will help better inform negotiations for the next contract so the city can see where the district’s pay ranks compared to other districts.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover Teachers Union contract approved after long impasse
