Announcement of 2026–27 Meet and Confer Priorities

This article was adapted from a social media post by the Durham Association of Educators and has been lightly edited for grammar and format.

On October 1, after much debate and discussion at an all-member DAE meeting, the school staff union landed on 2026–27 Meet and Confer priorities. The ratification process allowed them to be strategic and to prioritize the most deeply felt and widely felt issues. However, this slate of priorities will only be as strong as the willingness to fight for them. Mark your calendars for October 13, when the first public Meet and Confer negotiation of the year will take place at the Staff Development Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

The first economic demand, Extra Pay for Extra Work, calls on the district to follow up on providing printed annual contracts with clear duties and expectations, as agreed upon last year. DAE will also continue last year’s fight to clearly define which extra duties and roles will receive extra compensation.

The second economic demand, Safe Learning Environments, asks the district to commit to prompt repairs and remediation, with clear timelines, for issues relating to HVAC, mold, pests, and other safety concerns. The union is also calling for a system of accountability that tracks the status of repairs and remediation and identifies who is responsible.

The first non-economic demand, Bi-Weekly Pay, would give all hourly classified workers the option to receive either monthly pay or biweekly pay, meaning every other week, regardless of the length of the months.

The second non-economic demand, Trust Workers, asks that all staff be able to work from home on non-required workdays. This should not be left up to principal or supervisor discretion.

The third non-economic demand, Respect Our Time, calls for protected planning time at the beginning of the academic year and throughout the year. DAE is also seeking educator input into how required and non-required workdays are distributed throughout the calendar.

The fourth non-economic demand, Keep Workers Safe, calls for updating the Inclement Weather Policy (7550) so that workers are not required to use PTO or go unpaid when school facilities are closed to students. Staff who are deemed essential and required to report to work should receive hazard pay at time and a half, and all instructional staff and non-essential classified staff should have the option of working remotely.