GROSSE POINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Teachers in Grosse Pointe Public Schools are without a new contract as the first day of school approaches, with both sides still working to reach an agreement.
Watch Peter's story in the video player below:
The teachers' most recent contract expired Aug. 15. The two sides have met 19 times without reaching a deal and have brought in a mediator to help break the impasse over pay, benefits and other contract issues.
Union leaders say it will take better pay and benefits to keep Grosse Pointe Public Schools competitive for educators. The district says its latest offer includes a step increase for all eligible employees equivalent to about a 4% raise, plus an additional 2% or 3% salary increase depending on where a teacher falls on the pay scale.
Taryn Loughlin, president of the Grosse Pointe Education Association, said the union is pushing for compensation that reflects the value teachers bring to the district.
"We want our teachers' salaries to reflect their value and also to be competitive with neighboring districts and like districts, which currently Grosse Pointe is not. Our working conditions are just as important because those are our students' learning conditions."
Loughlin said starting the new school year without a contract creates uncertainty for educators and their families.
"Everybody would prefer to know what they are walking into. It's always a lot more difficult to have unknowns and that's where we are right now," she said.
Loughlin said the union's priority is securing the best possible deal for its members.
One parent said she wants to see the contract dispute resolved so teachers and students can focus on the classroom rather than contract negotiations.
Elizabeth Jay, a parent, said a timely resolution would help families plan ahead.
"It would be nice for them to let in a contract ahead of time just for purposes of like the school calendar and planning family events and things like that," said Jay.
Grosse Pointe Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Roy provided Seven News Detroit with the statement below:
“The District remains committed to reaching an agreement with the GPEA Teachers’ Association that supports the recruitment and retention of high-quality educators while maintaining the financial stability needed to provide exceptional programs for our students. The parties have met 19 times over several months but have not yet reached a successor agreement. As a result, mediation began on August 27, 2026. Both sides remain committed to the process and connected again this morning to continue discussions. Here is a summary of the formal proposals relative to negotiations with the GPEA.”
The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Sept. 16. In the meantime, they are working through mediation to try to bridge the gap on compensation, educator retention and healthcare adjustments.
Loughlin said she hopes the time between now and that meeting will allow both sides to make progress.
"Everybody has some time to continue working on the things that we're still far apart on and hopefully we can do some meaningful negotiating on the 16th."
Teachers are already preparing their classrooms ahead of the first day of school on Sept. 8.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
