Early childhood teachers at city-funded nonprofits will get a pay raise to more closely match the salaries of their public school colleagues, officials announced in a press conference Tuesday.
The deal – a contract with District Council 1707 Local 205 – will gradually raise the salaries of certified teachers at private daycare facilities participating in city-funded childcare initiatives over the next three years until they match the starting salaries of public pre-K teachers.
“With this agreement, we’re ensuring whether you’re in one of our schools or teaching in a community based organization, you get the same starting salary,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
More than half of students enrolled in city-funded universal childcare attend programs at community organizations rather than public schools. But teachers at private programs have long earned thousands less than their city-employed counterparts.
Advocates have lobbied for a pay bump for years, and, last month, City Council members said they wouldn’t approve a new budget without one.
Under the new contract, only 300 or so teachers with state teaching certifications will be eligible for the full pay bump, which will boost annual salaries by up to $20,000 by October 2021. Almost 4,000 other early childhood workers, including non-certified teachers and support staff, will get an $1,800 signing bonus and lower healthcare costs, union officials said.
The new deal only covers members of one union chapter, but officials say the contract will provide a template for future labor negotiations with other early childhood unions. DC 1707 employees will vote to ratify the contract in August.