Mayor Justin Elicker: “We need to see the state do more, so that we can provide our teachers with even better benefits and salaries.”
Following months of tense negotiations, the city’s teachers union gathered with local officials on Monday to celebrate a union-ratified new contract that — if approved — will stabilize monthly premiums, expand preventive care coverage, and minimize post-deductible costs on a health plan chosen by 60 percent of teachers.
The presser, which took place at King Robinson Interdistrict Magnet School, highlighted the three-year contract’s healthcare benefits while acknowledging that it won’t move educators to a state health insurance plan, which had been one of the top demands from the New Haven Federation of Teachers during negotiations.
The contract was ratified by 92 percent of union members who voted on Friday. If the Board of Education approves the deal Monday night, it will go to the alders for a final review.
The contract would run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029, and would succeed the current agreement, which expires on June 30, 2026. In addition to healthcare benefits, the deal includes an average salary increase of 13 percent over three years, a requirement that the school district publishes a line-item budget, and protected preparation days at the beginning of each school year. New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT) Vice President Jenny Graves noted on Monday that, as part of the deal, the district agreed to review student enrollment and class sizes in 2028.
When asked about the cost of the new contract, Supt. Negrón said that the salary increases would cost the city $20.17 million. City spokesperson Lenny Speiller said the city would pay an additional $1.72 million per year on healthcare benefits under the new contract.
To learn more about what’s included in the contract, click here.
During Monday’s press conference, Mayor Justin Elicker, Supt. Madeline Negrón, and other city and union leaders celebrated the contract as a first step towards giving teachers the support they need.
“After many months and many long sessions, the city and the Board of Education have made some significant steps to address teacher retention,” said NHFT President Leslie Blatteau. “And we know we have more work to do. At a time when students need more, not less, we are committed to the work outside of negotiations, to lower class sizes, to improve our facilities, to achieve manageable caseloads for our special education teachers and related service provides, and to finally fully fund and fully staff our schools.”
In December, dozens of teachers said they couldn’t afford their health insurance premiums and urged the city to move educators onto a state insurance plan. Elicker said the switch would cost $10 million — a figure that Blatteau contests — and create an imbalance between teachers and other city employees, who are not on the state plan.
On Monday, Blatteau told the Independent that she’s “committed to” finding “the path forward” for all city employees “to eventually get to the state partnership plan.”
State health plan notwithstanding, Graves emphasized that the new contract will still stabilize healthcare costs and expand coverage benefits for educators.
The contract switches all four health plans from being fully-insured equivalents to allocation-based, which Graves said would reduce overall healthcare costs by 13 percent. While Anthem won’t publish premium rates until May, Blatteau and Graves expect the provision to minimize potential increases to monthly costs.
For the 887 teachers union members subscribed to the high-deductible health plan, if the new contract is implemented, health costs will be fully covered after the deductible is met rather than the previous 90 percent/10 percent agreement. According to Blatteau, deductibles stand at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families, while post-deductible prescription drug co-pays will be $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.
The new contract increases preventive care coverage, including for mammograms and ultrasounds. It also freezes cost-sharing percentages, which means that while a teacher’s health cost may rise, the proportion paid will remain the same.
Alder Salvatore Punzo: “A lot of times we think of money, money, money…Through my years, I found that culture and climate in school buildings is as important” as money.