SPS’ teacher union authorizes strike vote as it ‘actively bargains’ with district
Aug 30, 2022, 12:55 PM
Seattle Public Schools logo. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7 TV)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7 TV)
The union representing the teachers of the largest school district in Washington state, the Seattle Education Association (SEA), has authorized a strike vote as it bargains for improved working conditions.
The SEA board of directors approved a strike authorization vote Tuesday. Wednesday, the union will have a general membership meeting to discuss, with a strike vote possible over the weekend, according to Jennifer Matter, president of the SEA.
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“None of us want to strike. But we have a choice. We can go back to school the way things were before, with a lack of student support and widespread educator burnout. Or we can unite and advocate for something better, for a contract that puts in writing the district’s responsibility to do more for all of our students and educators for years to come,” Matter wrote in a statement to KIRO Newsradio.
“We are still actively bargaining and hope SPS chooses to come to a tentative agreement. SPS has the power to avert further action—they do this by settling a tentative agreement that meets student needs.”
Seattle Public Schools’ 50,000 students are scheduled to resume classes Sept. 7, except for kindergarten and preschool, grades which usually start Sept. 12.
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