High school strike ends as teachers’ union says it struck deal with government

The Secondary School Teachers Association is ending its strike action affecting high schools across the country and has signed an agreement with the Finance Ministry and the Education Ministry, according to Hebrew media reports citing a statement by the teachers union.

The deal hopefully ends years of bad blood between the union and the government, which caused a strike at the start of the current school year from September 1 to September 9, when the strike was suspended but localized strikes continued and grades were not submitted.

The union reportedly says that among the agreements is that teachers’ salaries won’t be harmed by participation in the recent strike, that their monthly wages will be increased by NIS 1,200 ($320) starting in September, that teachers will get a one-time grant of NIS 9,600 ($2,500) for 2023, and that a plan to shorten the procedure for firing a teacher will be scrapped.

And, notably, the treasury has agreed to back down from its demand for individual contracts for teachers. This had been the main sticking point, with the government saying this would allow for more hiring flexibility and provide wages based on results or ability, instead of seniority.

The union has remained steadfast against this move, saying that individual agreements will make teachers into “contract workers” without the benefits or job security that teachers enjoy, allow for the hiring of unqualified teachers, and lead to lower wages, increased staff turnover and reduced quality of education.

Union chief Ran Erez is quoted as thanking the teachers for their “steadfastness” in the struggle for better conditions.

There is no immediate reaction by the education or finance ministries on what they have achieved in the apparent deal.

Gavriel Fiske contributed to this report.