Seattle teachers to vote Wednesday night on whether to strike, delaying school year

Seattle’s teachers could vote to go on strike as soon as Wednesday night.

According to The Seattle Times, the Seattle Education Association will gather at the Convention Center Wednesday evening. Members will either approve a tentative contract or authorize a walkout.

If they authorize a strike, it could start on the first day of school next Tuesday, Sept. 2, affecting nearly 50,000 students.

The Seattle Education Association union represents approximately 6,000 teachers, counselors, and additional staff within Seattle Public Schools (SPS).

“While we continue working on smaller issues, we’re simultaneously focusing on a package including the biggest issues – Special Education, pay, and pressurization,” the Seattle Education Association stated ahead of the meeting Wednesday. “We shared in an update weeks ago that their opening proposals were completely unacceptable. We’re pushing hard to move them, and there’s been very little give. We’re getting creative and trying to find some ways forward that work. We talked about so many issues in so many ways today, just trying to put puzzle pieces together to get to a tentative agreement.”

Seattle teachers last walked out in 2022, which, in turn, delayed the start of the school year by five days. The teachers’ current contract does not end until Aug. 31, and both sides of the bargaining team claimed they will keep bargaining “around the clock” to prevent a strike.

According to the union, it has been negotiating a new contract since June. Last year, teachers worked on a one-year contract that increased pay by 2.5% and established safeguards regarding student discipline and classroom disruptions.

One priority for teachers during these active negotiations is to have regulated class sizes and less district overhang so they can spend more time with students.

“Bargaining continues in good faith and with respect for our labor partners. The opportunity for conversation and progress remains,” SPS told KIRO Newsradio in a prepared statement. “SPS is working to open the school year successfully with an agreement that centers our students, supports our educators, and keeps our school district fiscally viable into the future.”

New superintendent for SPS faces several obstacles

Ben Shuldiner became the SPS superintendent in February, inheriting an $87 million budget shortfall. Over the summer, he stated cuts, layoffs, and school closures are all options to address the district’s budget woes.

“Everything is on the table,” Shuldiner said in June. “When you’re $87 million in the hole, you can’t just pretend that money grows on trees.”

According to The Seattle Times, SPS enrollment has dropped by roughly 3,000 students over the last six years.

One money-saving method Shuldiner proposed was removing positions as they become vacant through retirement or staff departures, with the overall goal of reducing administrative layers and simplifying decision-making.

Teachers within SPS currently earn an average salary of $117,000 each year, according to the Seattle Education Association.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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