The WTU won an arbitration award for a grievance filed in 2016 concerning teachers in the 2015-2016 school year who had been rated "Developing" and then unjustly denied a pay step increase. This win should result in close to $2.8 million being paid to approximately 178 harmed educators.
Following the award, and in coordination with legal counsel, we were advised that the DC Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining (OLRCB) sought to discuss a potential settlement. We welcomed that opportunity as a chance to expand the number of members who could benefit from this significant decision.
After the award was issued, the WTU repeatedly requested information from OLRCB regarding the impacted teachers—seeking details about who would receive payment, how much, and how the Union could verify that all eligible educators were made whole. Despite several months of outreach and follow-up, OLRCB failed to communicate or act in good faith. Instead, the District proceeded unilaterally, withholding critical information and excluding the WTU from the implementation process.
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WTU Wins Major Arbitration Award, But Once Again DC Government Does Not Act In Good Faith
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On July 3 of 2025, right when I was taking office, the WTU won an arbitration award for a grievance filed in 2016. The grievance concerned teachers in the 2015-2016 school year who had been rated "Developing" and then unjustly denied a pay step increase. This win should result in close to $2.8 million being paid to approximately 178 harmed educators.
While the WTU pushed to broaden the scope of relief to include additional members who were similarly affected, the arbitrator’s ruling was limited to those rated Developing in the 2015-2016 school year. Following the award, and in coordination with legal counsel, we were advised that the DC Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining (OLRCB) sought to discuss a potential settlement. We welcomed that opportunity as a chance to expand the number of members who could benefit from this significant decision.
After the award was issued, the WTU repeatedly requested information from OLRCB regarding the impacted teachers—seeking details about who would receive payment, how much, and how the Union could verify that all eligible educators were made whole. Despite several months of outreach and follow-up, OLRCB failed to communicate or act in good faith. Instead, the District proceeded unilaterally, withholding critical information and excluding the WTU from the implementation process.
As of now there has been no communication to the WTU and our attorneys regarding:
- the details of who should get paid,
- amounts each individual is entitled to receive,
- evidence for how each amount was calculated,
- Thus preventing any method of the WTU ensuring all those who should be made whole, per the arbitration award, received their payment.
This lack of transparency and collaboration is unacceptable. If the District Government is serious about showing respect to educators and the grievance process, then they must treat us as equal partners at every step of the way.
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This means that a select group of educators should receive a payment from DCPS for the arbitrators award.
WTU is in communication with OLRCB to demand the full list of information we need to ensure that everyone who is entitled gets the full award. We will be in touch as soon as we have it.
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The WTU is deeply proud of the work carried out by prior administrations to achieve this important victory. But we will not allow the District’s failure to comply to diminish it. The WTU is now pursuing all available legal remedies to address how the implementation of the award has been mishandled and to ensure that every affected educator is made whole and this behavior is not repeated in the future.
Laura Fuchs
WTU President
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