Contract negotiations between the DFT and DPS will continue through the weekend. Since Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb has begun participating directly in the negotiations, the talks have increased in productivity, although no settlement has been reached. If an agreement is reached by the end of the evening on Sunday, it will be brought to the executive board for approval. If approved, a press conference will be held to announce the tentative agreement. If no agreement is reached, we anticipate that we will announce an extension to be determined by the parties. Please check the DFT website for additional information and directions as they occur.

Rumors that the DFT and Detroit Public Schools have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! Speculation may have been fueled by an article in the Detroit Free Press in which I shared with reporter Chastity Pratt-Dawsey that the DFT and DPS discussed some reform initiatives including shared-decision making and peer assistance and review, and that we agreed in PRINCIPLE ON THE CONCEPT, BUT THAT NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED. Negotiations between the parties will continue throughout the weekend, at least, until a tentative agreement is reached, subject to ratification by the DFT membership.

When an agreement is reached, a mass meeting will be scheduled, probably at Cobo Arena, and the entire content of the contract will be discussed with the membership. This will give members an opportunity to ask questions before sending out the ballots for a ratification vote.

Please understand that I cannot negotiate this contract and at the same time respond to every rumor or speculation made by those who are not at the bargaining table. I also cannot negotiate through the public, even to our members, without compromising the integrity of the negotiation process. The negotiating team is working diligently to protect the rights and benefits of our membership while at the same time embracing educational reforms that will create an environment conducive to learning and teaching.

When there is an agreement you will hear the news and the details from me. My only intent in the interview with the Free Press was to demonstrate that the DFT is committed to reforming this district into a model for what urban education should look like.

As pertinent information develops I will gladly share it via our website, President’s Alert, or a Union Hotline. In the interim, please allow me to do what you elected me to do: act in the best interests of our members. Thank you DFT, I won’t let you down.                      Keith Johnson, DFT President

DPS is allowing employees to resubmit missing critical documents needed for verification of dependent eligibility for one additional week. The process is as follows:
1. Employee calls Audit Verification Unit at 1-866-641-5651 to find out which document(s) is missing or what is needed.
2. Three copies must be made of the documents to be submitted:
A. One copy is mailed to the Audit Verification Unit, using regular postage. No overnight mailing, FedEx, UPS, etc. (No one to sign for mail).
B. 2nd and 3rd copies should be brought to H.R. in the Kahn Bldg. 4th Fl. Front Desk.
C. Copies will be date-stamped and one returned to employee for recordkeeping.
Employee "Last Chance" deadline for submission of documents is 11/20/09.
All needed documentation must be in the Audit Unit by this date-- not in H.R. Dept. No exceptions! Any questions will be answered by the Audit Unit at 1-866-641-5651.
The mailing address for documents is: Dependent Eligibility Verification, P.O. Box 3005, Arlington Heights, IL. 60006-9923. Click above to see the definitions for eligibility and the required documentation.

It is critical for all DFT members to update their contact information, especially those members who are laid off. There have been instances when an employee is recalled but the DPS Human Resources Department doesn't have a current address or telephone number to recall him or her. Update your information both at the DPS Human Resources Department and the DFT. You must notify both institutions. Notifying one does not translate to the other. To update info with the DFT, call 313-875-3500 or fax updated info to 313-875-3512.

Teachers assigned to Mark Twain/Boynton, Cerveny/J.R. King, or Marcus Garvey/Barbour/Butzel, who were unjustly forced-transferred and wished to return to their rightful position should contact DFT President Keith Johnson immediately. He can be reached through his personal email at Keith7607@sbcglobal.net or his personal cellphone at 313-683-4049 or contact his assistant, Holley Sabotchick at 313-875-3500 ext. 779.

DFT President Keith Johnson respectfully insists that any DFT member who has received or downloaded the personal information from the DPS website delete that information from all systems and computers. The DFT will not be responsible for any act of impropriety regarding the use of another individual's personal information.

Yesterday evening DFT President Keith Johnson was advised that the personal income and work location of every DPS employee was posted on the DPS website. President Johnson immediately contacted Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb on behalf of DFT and all other affected employees, to express our concern about the availablity of such important personal information and how this information could potentially put district employees in peril. The information was immediately removed from the DPS website with sincere apologies from Mr. Bobb. He expressed to President Johnson that he did not authorize the input of this information on the DPS website and that corrective measures would be taken.

At the Nov. 12 General Membership meeting, a bylaw change was approved by unanimous vote. The change saves money by reducing the number of delegates to the American Federation of Teachers Convention and the AFT Michigan convention. DFT membership has declined from 12,500 members a decade ago to 7,200 members. The amendment reduces the number of elected delegates from 50 to 20 and the number of alternates would be reduced from 25 to 10. These changes do not affect the number of votes cast at either convention because our delegation's votes are based on our total membership, not the size of our delegation.

Click above for the 2009-2010 Detroit Public Schools calendar.

The 2005-2009 Agreement between the DFT and the Detroit Public Schools is now available on the web. Click on Contract in the sidebar of this website to view the agreement. A two-year collaboration between the district and the union resulted in the first total revision since the agreement was first written in the 1960s. Since there are only three months left to this agreement, a print version will be available only through the DFT offices.

If a DFT member is served with a court summons or notice of a lawsuit regarding their employment, send it to the DFT immediately. These documents must be forwarded to General Counsel within seven calendar days of being served.

Approximately 100 DPS teachers lost their jobs at the end of the 2007-08 school year because they failed to meet the requirements for state certification.

Contact the DFT President, Vice President, Labor Relations Administrators, Financial Analyst, Business Manager, or the Editor.

The 2008-2009 Detroit Federation of Teachers salary schedule includes a 2.5 percent raise.