Fayette superintendent agrees to study collective bargaining for union employees

Fayette County Superintendent Demetrus Liggins has agreed to study a prospective collective bargaining agreement, which could pave the way for teachers to negotiate their employment terms, including their salary and benefits.

While the move does not guarantee that unionized Fayette school employees who are part of the Fayette County Education Association will get a collective bargain agreement, the Liggins-approved work group is a big step forward for teachers and other staff.

A collective bargaining agreement is a legally binding contract between an employer and a union that outlines the terms and conditions of employment. It covers such aspects as wages, working hours, benefits and dispute resolution procedures, union president Erika Pennington told the Herald-Leader Friday.

Collective bargaining agreements aim to establish fair and consistent workplace practices and often include provisions for grievance and arbitration processes to address potential conflicts, she said. The work group, modeled after the district’s Budget Solutions Work Group, would be an opportunity for exploration into how a collective bargaining agreement could strengthen the current work in Fayette County, Pennington said.

“It will allow us to work with members to understand how collective bargaining works in the public sector in Kentucky.” she said. Pennington said there is no hard and fast rule on what a collective bargain agreement looks like.

“But a reason we feel this work is important is because the collective bargain is not the end goal just for the sake of having one. It is what is negotiated in the bargain that is most important. We want to remain focused on all three words of the term CBA—it’s collective, it’s bargained, and it’s agreed upon,” she said.

Liggins has agreed to work with Fayette County Education Association and FCESPA (a support professionals group) to create a work group focused on educating the community about collective bargaining in the public sector and elevating the voices of educators, Pennington said.

“Equipping stakeholders with clear, accurate information allows for richer, more productive conversations, and ultimately, better outcomes for our students,” Liggins said in a news release.

“This proactive thinking about how we might deepen our partnership through a structured exploration of collective bargaining and educator voice, through a work group modeled after our budget committee, aligns well with our shared values of transparency, respect and student-centered decision-making.”

Fayette County Education Association currently has a strong relationship with the district, which the private sector might refer to as “meet and confer” bargaining,“ Pennington said.

“Through our current partnership, we have secured 35 parental leave days, the highest starting teacher pay in the state, stipend pay for class coverage and a defined teacher workday for all teachers in FCPS. The wins we’ve gained for the district have translated to positive student outcomes.”

Fayette County Public Schools has about 8,000 employees. Its teachers’ union is part of the National Education Association, the country’s largest labor union. Another teacher’s union, KY 120 United-AFT, is the local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

Nema Brewer, an organizer for KY 120 United-AFT said Friday the announcement of a collective bargaining agreement work group is a step forward for every labor union in Kentucky.

“It has been over 40 years since FCPS rank-and-file staff have formally and legally been granted the right to bargain for better working conditions and student learning conditions directly with their employer- the Board of Education,” Brewer said.

She said KY 120 United- AFT knows that rank-and-file voices matter, which is why, for three years, its members have been publicly asking the five elected members of the district’s board of education to begin formal discussions.

Each board member has already received a formal resolution that would lay out a fair and equitable process for employees to choose their representation- legally by a democratic vote of all rank-and-file employees--collective bargaining, Brewer said.

The board declined to consider such a resolution in 2024.

“We look forward to working with all parties who understand the need for a (collective bargaining agreement) and working collaboratively with Dr. Liggins, board chair Tyler Murphy and all board members moving forward,” Brewer said.

Pennington said as evidenced by the many questions union members have received on a range of issues, including the district’s budget and financial condition, it is clear that people in Fayette County care deeply about public schools.

The new collective bargaining work group will benefit union members by reaching consensus on a range of policy and practical issues. It will serve as a means to create an even stronger partnership between the district and the union, , Pennington said.

The new work group, dubbed the Collective Bargaining & Staff Voices Work Group, will identify its structure, timing and goals in late September and hold its initial meeting in October.

This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 2:28 PM.