Thousands of Denver Public Schools employees woke up Thursday morning to find their regular paycheck hadn’t been deposited.
In a message to employees that morning, the district said that the finance team followed its standard process and shared required payment information with the bank.
“We are working with the bank to ensure our employees are paid promptly,” it said. “We apologize for the inconvenience and will share more information as we learn more.”
DPS spokesperson Scott Pribble said there was a bank issue that should be solved by the end of the day.
In a later update, the district told employees that JPMorgan said the bank file had been processed for today’s payday and that all employees would receive direct deposit in their bank accounts by the end of the day.
In a message to its members, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association said “hours passed” before the district communicated with employees and said the incident was an example of how the district devalues its employees.
“The district’s delayed and dismissive response does not excuse the severity of this mistake,” the message said. “We know all too well that this is not the first time DPS has caused fear, uncertainty, and doubt about their pay. It only adds to the pattern of the district’s lack of transparency, integrity and leadership.”
Tensions are high because after three months of bargaining, the district declared an impasse in contract negotiations earlier this month. DCTA disagreed with this call because they believed progress could have been made in genuine negotiations.
The two sides are negotiating over sustainable workloads, competitive pay, benefits and class size. The union is also calling for safety measures in the classroom.
DPS said the contract stipulates that the two sides must move into mediation beginning May 28. It hopes to reach an agreement before the end of June. The teacher’s contract expires at the end of August.
