After more than a decade of organizing, substitute teachers in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) have secured the state’s first collective bargaining agreement for temps. The district’s governing board approved the 30‑page contract this week, marking a historic win for the roughly 900 substitute educators who work in Arizona’s largest school system.
Grassroots effort leads to board approval
Dolores de Vera, a full‑time substitute for 14 years, and Jerry Schuster, a veteran sub with over 25 years of experience, began lobbying the board in 2016 after pay cuts left many temps feeling vulnerable. Their outreach grew into a formal union effort with the Tucson Education Association (TEA), which represents teachers and most classified staff.
“It’s putting it mildly to say it means a lot. We have an agreement in place. We have rights and benefits and they are codified,” Schuster told Arizona Luminaria. De Vera added, “If the board were to try to cut our pay the way it did before, people would know to go to the union.”
What the contract provides
The agreement establishes a dedicated substitute‑teacher seat at the bargaining table, guaranteeing representation on issues such as pay, benefits, and working conditions. Daily pay for a TUSD substitute remains $150.80, with higher rates for long‑term subs who teach more than 20 days or hold special certifications, such as special‑education credentials.
Long‑term substitutes are especially critical in Arizona, which faces a shortage of about 4,000 teachers this school year. Nearly 30% of those gaps are currently filled by long‑term subs, according to the Arizona Department of Education.
Broader significance
Nationally, less than 1% of substitute teachers belong to a union, according to the National Education Association. Unionized subs exist in a few districts such as Chicago, San Francisco and New York City, but most districts—particularly in right‑to‑work states like Arizona—offer no collective‑bargaining rights.
TEA President Jim Byrne praised the achievement, saying the TUSD effort “blazed a pathway for subs in Arizona to see what is possible to fight for and win.” The new contract is expected to make Tucson more competitive in attracting and retaining qualified substitute teachers.
Local impact
With about 35,000 students across 88 schools, TUSD relies on substitute teachers daily to fill gaps and maintain continuity of instruction. The union contract provides a structured mechanism for addressing pay concerns and ensuring that substitutes have a voice in district decisions.
“Now, because there is a union, there are people watching to prevent stuff or to alert people,” de Vera said. “We have a seat at the table.”
Original reporting: Arizona Luminaria — read the source article.
