As a “pink-collar profession” — a nickname given to women-dominated occupations — teaching has historically paid less than comparable fields requiring a higher education degree, and in Philadelphia, the push to close the wage gap could lead to a strike by the end of the month.

Salaries for Philly teachers — roughly 70 percent of whom are women — begin at $54,146. That’s far below the median earnings of Pennsylvania college graduates. Now, concern over pay has become a sticking point between the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and the School District of Philadelphia as they negotiate a new contract, with the current collective bargaining agreement expiring August 31. 

The PFT in June voted to authorize its executive board to initiate a strike if the union and the district don’t agree on a new contract by then. With the deadline imminent and no deal in sight, schools may open on August 25 only for teachers to appear on picket lines within days. A strike could leave working parents in a lurch, scrambling for childcare — a task moms usually have to complete. Many Philly teachers, however, are also parents and demanding higher salaries to better provide for their families.  

PFT President Arthur Steinberg pointed out that even suburban teachers with less education often out-earn Philadelphia’s top-performing educators by up to $22,000.

“We would like to close that gap as much as we can with this next contract,” he recently told the Philadelphia Tribune.

Amid ongoing negotiations, Steinberg appeared with School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington at a welcome event for new teachers on Wednesday.

“We are optimistic about a successful conclusion by the end-of-the-month deadline, and it’s important to us that all of our employees feel seen, valued and heard,” said Watlington, who called Steinberg a “tough negotiator.”

To reach an agreement, Steinberg said, “There’s significant work that has to be done, but it’s doable.”

Still, union members are prepping for a strike, making protest slogans at the new teacher orientation. A strike would be the first in Philadelphia since 1981, when teachers walked out for 50 days.

“Our schools are not safe, they’re not healthy for anybody to work in or go to school in,” chemistry teacher Kate Sundeen told local news station ABC 6. “We have a hard time with teacher retention and a hard time attracting new talent.”

Philadelphia teachers complained to The 19th in 2023 about working in century-old buildings that swelter in early fall heat. Before then, the PFT expressed concerns to The 19th that the district was not taking robust action to prevent exposing teachers to COVID-19. 

The PFT represents nearly 14,000 teachers, counselors, school nurses, librarians and other educators. Just under 200,000 students attend the School District of Philadelphia, which has garnered nationwide attention since the hit workplace comedy “Abbott Elementary” — set in Philly — debuted in 2021.

In recent years, a number of large urban school districts have gone on strike. They include classified workers in Los Angeles Unified School District in March 2023, teachers in Seattle Public Schools in September 2022 and classified workers and teachers in Minneapolis Public Schools in March 2022. 

On Friday, the national bus tour of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) will arrive in West Philadelphia to support the PFT ahead of a possible strike. The event will be the last of six strike preparation events that have taken place before the teachers head back to work on Monday, a week before the first day of school.