Mapp said administration would resume teacher contract talks on Sept. 28

Gov. Kenneth Mapp said on Sept. 24 that the Virgin Islands government planned to return to the bargaining table with the American Federation of Teachers on Sept. 28 and remained in support of salary increases for teachers and other government employees.

At a news conference on education matters, Mapp said teachers had rejected a proposal approved by union leadership and that he had not received a counteroffer from the union. He urged teachers to remain on the job while negotiations continued.

Mapp said his administration had met with education union leaders in 2015 and that, in 2016, the government paid outstanding obligations tied to collective bargaining agreements signed in 2010 for teachers and more than 3,000 government workers.

He also said an executive order issued in August 2018 raised the starting base salary for teachers to $44,000 from $34,000. Mapp said increases for more senior teachers would have to be negotiated at the bargaining table.

Mapp said the territory had 152 teacher vacancies in the previous year. He also said air-quality testing would be conducted at each public school as campuses reopened.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/administration-supports-salary-increases-for-teachers-plans-to-reopen-negotiations-on-friday/