Israeli Teachers End Labor Dispute with New Benefits and Wage Protections

The Israeli Teachers' Organization announced the end of its labor dispute following negotiations with the Ministries of Finance and Education and the Local Government Center. The dispute, declared in May, was resolved with agreements that include canceling wage deductions for the June 8 combat day and maintaining a five-day workweek model for high school teachers.

Under the agreement, teachers will not lose pay for the combat day despite school closures, recognizing their online preparation for matriculation exams. Schools that have adopted or will adopt the five-day workweek by September 1, 2026, can continue this schedule until the end of 2028. Additionally, a directive to stop paying for remote work hours was revoked.

Starting September 1, 2026, physics teachers will receive a 4% matriculation exam preparation bonus for five-unit courses, up from 2%, aligning their pay with chemistry teachers. Special education class teachers will receive annual bonuses of 600 shekels for one integrated student and 2,000 shekels for more than one, retroactive from September 1, 2025, payable by September 2026.

The early retirement quota for teachers will increase from 320 to 350. Due to staffing shortages, high school teachers will also provide four hours of substitute teaching during the 2026-2027 school year, coordinated with the school and teacher. The Teachers' Organization pledged to continue negotiations on unresolved issues.

Ran Erez, chairman of the Teachers' Organization, stated, "We achieved most of our negotiation goals and secured significant gains for teachers. We will persist in improving working conditions and correcting injustices in the education system under the Education Minister's responsibility."