RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond Public School teachers were the first in Virginia to gain collective bargaining rights to negotiate for pay, benefits and working conditions.
More than a year later, school district and union representatives celebrated the approval of tentative labor agreements that give teachers and staff pay raises and new benefits.
“This is truly a historic moment,” Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said during a Thursday press conference at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. “Sometimes people say that, and it’s not technically true, but this time it is absolutely true.”
Four collective bargaining units within the Richmond Education Association (REA), the labor union representing the school system’s employees, reached tentative agreements with the district that members voted to approve after months of negotiations.
The collective bargaining units include those for teachers, care and safety associates, instructional assistants and food and nutrition employees.
Union representatives spoke Thursday about the agreements, calling them “life-changing” and a step towards bolstering the district’s workforce and addressing teacher retention concerns.
“The contracts, the negotiations, they’re more than just salary negotiations. It’s about the quality of work life,” Charlotte Hayer, a business and information technology teacher at Richmond Community High School who sits on the REA Board of Directors, said Thursday. “It’s about how am I...
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