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Three months into bargaining, Denver Public Schools has declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the Denver teachers union.
An impasse means the district and the union will continue negotiating but with the help of a mediator. The rare step of declaring an impasse last happened in Denver in 2017, about 18 months before the Denver Classroom Teachers Association went on strike in February 2019.
That strike resulted in a new contract that got rid of a controversial pay-for-performance system and boosted wages for teachers and other union members. This year, the Denver teachers union is once again requesting pay raises, as well as smaller class sizes and sustainable caseloads for special education service providers, among other priorities.
In a statement, DPS said the district and union were making “compromises and movement” toward an agreement last month, but progress stalled at an April 28 bargaining session.
“The decision to move to mediation now is to allow us to reach an agreement with the union prior to the end of June,” the district said.
The current contract is set to expire on Aug. 31. Mediation will begin on May 28.
In a press release Tuesday, the union blasted DPS for declaring an impasse during Teacher Appreciation Week. The union accused the district of failing to offer meaningful counterproposals and instead “crossing out DCTA’s proposals without offering alternatives.”
“Rather than bargaining with educators in good faith, the district has chosen to show their love and appreciation for its educators by walking away from the table, claiming all remedies have been exhausted,” union President Rob Gould said in a statement.
“But if that were true, we wouldn’t still be met with weekly stall tactics and surface-level engagement at the table,” Gould said. “The district has refused to offer real solutions, showing they’re comfortable with overcrowded classrooms, unfilled positions, and maintaining the status quo.”
DPS noted that the district and union have previously had success in using mediation, including for the current three-year contract that expires in August. A union spokesperson said that both sides agreed on that 2022 mediation and it wasn’t the result of an impasse.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
