The Secondary School System of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Association of Catholic Teachers, Local 1776 (ACT 1776) have ratified a new three-year Early Bird Labor-Management Agreement covering full-time lay teachers at the 15 Archdiocesan high schools across the five-county region.
The agreement was reached following a collaborative negotiation process that began in February 2026. Representatives from both the Archdiocesan high school system and ACT 1776 worked together to finalize a contract that supports their shared commitment to providing a strong Catholic education for students and families.
In a joint announcement on Thursday, both parties highlighted the cooperative spirit of the negotiations, noting that the successful completion of the Early Bird Agreement reflects a mutual commitment to teachers, schools, and the future of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Read the full statement here.
The new contract takes effect Sept. 1, 2026.
The agreement applies only to the Archdiocese’s 15 secondary schools, which serve more than 10,400 students and employ approximately 650 full-time lay teachers who are members of ACT 1776. Parish and regional Catholic elementary schools are not covered by the contract and were not involved in the negotiations process.
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