By Catholic Philly Staff Report • Posted August 31, 2023

Teachers at area Archdiocesan Catholic high schools have a new contract.

Earlier today, the Secondary School System of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Association of Catholic School Teachers, Local 1776 (ACT) reached a three-year agreement on a new Labor Management Agreement for full-time, lay high school teachers in the 15 Archdiocesan high schools serving the five-county Philadelphia region.

The new agreement provides for salary increases of at least $2,200 per year; increases in various stipends for department heads and extracurricular activities; modest increases in medical contributions in years two and three as well as provisions for increased job security for full-time teachers, especially in the area of hiring part-time teachers.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia released a statement saying,  “Over the past several months, leadership teams from both parties worked diligently to develop an agreement that recognizes the value, hard work, and dedication of our teachers while continuing to position the Archdiocesan system of Catholic secondary schools for growth and excellence grounded in the values of the Gospel and the spirit of Missionary Discipleship. Our teachers are valued partners in the formation of the young people we serve now and for life. They fill a critical role and we are deeply grateful for all that they do.”

According to a Aug. 31 statement by ACT 1776, members voted “overwhelmingly” to ratify the contract after hearing the terms of the new agreement. Negotiations began in Feb. 2023.

Parish and regional Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are not parties to this contract or the negotiations process.

For more information about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit https://www.aopcatholicschools.org/.