Wage Increase Agreement For Employees Reached Between PWCS, Union

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Prince William County Public Schools staff will be getting a new wage increase as a result of a new two-year agreement. The wage component hadn't been decided in the collective bargaining agreement implemented in 2024.

On Friday, Prince William County Public Schools announced an agreement with Prince William Education Association to increase wages. PWCS staff will receive an average 7 percent wage increase in the first year and an average 6.3 percent increase in the second year. The increases would have a $160 million impact over two years.

"Investing $160 million over the next two years for teacher and support staff raises is a testament to our commitment to valuing and supporting our educators," said Dr. Babur Lateef, the chairman of the Prince William County School Board. "This proposal not only recognizes the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff but also ensures that we continue to attract and retain the best talent for our students' success."

"The Prince William Education Association (PWEA) bargaining team, representing over 11,000 educators and school staff, proudly announces a landmark 2-year wage deal, reflecting our unwavering dedication to competitive wages," added Maggie Hansford, the president of the Prince William Education Association. "This achievement ensures our schools can address vacancies, directly benefiting our students by guaranteeing access to highly skilled and experienced education professionals."

The agreement applies to more than 11,000 teachers and school staff. It comes after a collective bargaining agreement between PWCS and the Prince William Education Association was implemented in 2024. An agreement on wages was a key part missing from the collective bargaining agreement, WTOP reported. The last PWCS budget did provide an average 6 percent pay increase.

PWCS said the increase in teacher starting wages will help it be regionally competitive for teacher pay. Along with wage increases, the agreement will provide targeted stipends for specific positions, such as IEP case management, dually certified English language teachers, and elementary strings teachers; adjust the wage scale for instructional staff; double night shift pay differentials for classified staff; reclassify some classified positions to higher pay grades; and make PWCS supplements at or above the median in the regional comparative study.

The wage increases are planned for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. The upcoming budget proposal from Superintendent LaTanya McDade will include a wage package affecting all PWCS staff, including those not in the bargaining unit represented by the Prince William Education Association.