County considers retroactive $15 per hour for Durham school workers
Durham Public Schools employees could see their pay go up to $15 an hour if the Durham County Board of Commissioners can come to an agreement. Bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers and other DPS classified workers would qualify for the $15 an hour minimum.
Posted — UpdatedOn Tuesday night, commissioners will consider a proposal to find the money to compensate those workers at that rate dating back to July 2020.
Back in November, county commissioners voted unanimously to increase hourly rates for school employees from January through June 2021.
Then commissioners later agreed to consider retroactive pay dating back to July of last year.
“It’s been very stressful for a lot of our teachers and for our classified staff,” said Michelle Burton, the president of the Durham Association of Educators, "thinking about the safety and well-being not only of our kids that we teach but our own families."
Burton believes making sure those frontline essential workers get what they deserve is necessary.
“Many of them are working second jobs. If they (the commissioners) vote for this retroactive pay, it will help them pay for things to help support their families, to help pay their rent, to pay for food,” Burton said.
In the latest work session, there was a lot of tension. The commissioners showed concern over whether the county could afford the change.
Burton is hoping for a solution as soon as possible.
“They show up every day. They give it their all. They do their jobs. They do it well, and we want to make sure that they have the resources and wages that they can continue to live here and be productive citizens,” she said.
DPS has roughly 1,200 classified employees. About 904 of them are paid under $15 an hour.
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