Flint Schools, teachers reach tentative settlement agreement

Flint, MI — Flint Community Schools (FCS) and the United Teachers of Flint (UTF) reached a tentative work agreement after months of teachers asking for reconsiderations and organizing a districtwide sickout in March 2024.

FCS released a statement on Friday, March 29, 2024, announcing they reached an agreement on Monday, March 25, 2024, one of three scheduled negotiation dates. 

The Flint Board of Education has not yet approved the agreement. The new agreement will be brought before the board during a special meeting on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.

In a Facebook post, the Michigan Education Association (MEA) Flint office stated that the agreement had been reached after 14 hours.

“Following board ratification, UTF leadership will schedule a membership meeting and vote,” the post said. “We hope this will finally put this crisis to rest.”

The board turned down a settlement agreement in January 2024, which would have addressed reimplementing salary steps, a traditional school calendar, teacher recruitment, and retention. 

After an agreement couldn’t be reached, teachers protested at board meetings and asked board members to reconsider. Also, 119 FCS teachers called in sick on March 13, 2024, forcing the entire district to close its buildings for the day. 

At a board meeting the night of the sickout, the board voted to return to the negotiation table with UTF.