DPS-Union Talks Fail. Denver Teachers Union To Vote On Strike

DENVER, CO – By Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat Colorado. The Denver teachers union will hold a vote on whether to strike after months of negotiations ended in deadlock.

The bargaining team of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and officials with Denver Public Schools met all day Friday, and exchanged several proposals, but they could not close a gap of more than $8 million between the two sides.

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Public Schools are not negotiating their master contract — that deal was finalized in 2017 — but rather the ProComp system, which provides teachers bonuses for things like teaching in a high-poverty school, getting strong evaluations, having students who earn high test scores, or teaching in a high-performing school.

Denver voters approved a special tax to pay for these bonuses in 2005, which today generates around $33 million a year.

A strike requires a vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the union, which represents about 64 percent of Denver teachers. Teachers can join the union even on the day of the vote, which will occur on Saturday and Tuesday.

Superintendent Susana Cordova said she would ask the state to intervene if there is a positive strike vote.

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Denver teachers listen to an update on bargaining during the second to last day of negotiations before the ProComp contract expires. (Photo by Erica Meltzer/Chalkbeat)