Durham teachers seek $1 billion fix and pay reform in new union talks

The Durham Association of Educators opened the second year of its meet and confer process on October 13, placing facility maintenance and wage adjustments at the top of its agenda. The union began discussions with Durham Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Lewis and his administration in front of approximately 90 workers and community members. Several school board members also attended the session to observe the initial exchange.

This formalized dialogue represents a shift from the conflicts that marked the 2023 and 2024 school years. During those periods, tensions rose between the district and the union before DAE secured a policy granting workers a scheduled role in policy discussions. In North Carolina, public sector unions do not have the legal right to negotiate collective bargaining agreements. Meet and confer serves as a structured forum for collaboration, though it carries no binding power. Any proposals that emerge from these sessions must be voted on by the school board to become policy.

The first year of the process yielded two concrete results. The board approved a policy in June requiring the district to publish more detailed financial data, allowing staff and the public to track funding allocations. Simultaneously, the board gave a first reading to a proposal that would allow employees to file grievances as a group when they share a common complaint. That grievance policy is still being finalized before the board takes a final vote.

For the 2026-27 school year, twelve DAE representatives from various work groups, including custodial staff, transportation, and elementary education, will meet with the administration for seven two-hour sessions. DAE President Mika Hunter Twietmeyer noted that the union selected six broad priorities based on member votes. She described the selection process as difficult due to the volume of urgent needs but emphasized the group’s focus on issues the district could realistically address.

One priority, labeled Respect Our Time, seeks to limit the number of workdays consumed by mandatory meetings and training. The goal is to restore planning and grading time for teachers. Twietmeyer expects the district to respond to this proposal and anticipates further discussion before it reaches the school board. A related proposal would allow all eligible employees to telework when buildings close due to inclement weather, creating a uniform standard across the district rather than leaving the decision to individual school administrators.

Compensation for extra duties is another central focus. The union is pushing for clearer pay structures for tasks that fall outside an employee’s assigned role. Twietmeyer cited a specific example involving custodial vacancies. If a school has three open custodial positions, the remaining custodians who clean the entire building should receive additional pay for that expanded workload. She acknowledged that the change will be complex because current contracts do not clearly outline all expected duties.

The union is also pressing for action on the district’s aging infrastructure, which faces nearly $1 billion in maintenance needs. Some buildings suffer from frequent HVAC failures and other age-related issues. Durham Public Schools is considering closing some buildings and adjusting enrollment boundaries to reduce costs and address demographic shifts. Twietmeyer urged the district to prioritize continual maintenance of older structures to avoid closures. She also suggested the district assess spending on administrative staff to ensure resources are directed toward areas that directly impact students.

The remaining meet and confer sessions are scheduled throughout the school year. The union will continue to present its proposals to the administration, with the understanding that final decisions rest with the school board.