‘I’m tired of doing this every year’: Gee, Ursula sound off on Seattle teachers’ strike threat

Seattle teachers are threatening to strike before the school year begins, warning they will walk out if no contract agreement is reached with Seattle Public Schools by Sept. 1. Classes are scheduled to start Sept. 2.

The Seattle Education Association and the district are negotiating new contracts covering roughly 6,000 employees, with the union focused on workload, special education and pay.

Co-hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin discussed the standoff on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, with Gee stating that he supports teachers but is frustrated by a cycle that puts families in a bind every fall.

“I’m always on the side of teachers,” Gee said. “I think that we collectively can all agree that our teachers and education, they are usually the first line of defense outside of our homes. Thank you for what you do. You’re heaven-sent, all of those things. At the same time, I also understand there are concerns about workloads. Some of these teachers are overworked. Some of these classrooms are way too much.

“With all of that being said, I’m tired of doing this every year,” he continued. “I am tired of this dance. While I acknowledge the teachers, now I want to speak to the families and that parent who has to be at work at 8 a.m. I’m speaking to the people that are barely making it financially, who don’t have the child care. Families deserve some type of stability too.”

Ursula warns the district’s finances complicate the picture

Ursula said she has long supported fair teacher pay but noted the district’s financial situation has changed since the state’s landmark McCleary decision in 2012, which forced Washington to fully fund public education and raised teacher salaries.

“I also supported the McCleary decision because there was a time when I did think that Washington was not paying educators what they’re worth,” Ursula said. “But we’re in a different place right now. Do you remember when we had the district superintendent on our show, and he flat-out said, ‘We’re in danger of going broke’?

“Costs keep going up, taxpayers are exhausted, and now we’re talking about potentially delaying the first days of school,” she continued. “A strike does go beyond hurting the district. It throws thousands of families into chaos.”

The union said the average Seattle teacher earns about $117,000 a year, while paraprofessionals average about $82,000. Negotiations have been ongoing since June, with the union expected to vote on any tentative agreement by Aug. 26.

Both hosts worry about public goodwill

Ursula said teachers risk losing support if a strike happens.

“I think teachers risk losing a lot of public goodwill very quickly if this happens,” Ursula said. “So I’m hoping that they find some kind of resolution.”

The district said in a statement that it is bargaining “nearly every day” but must also protect the system’s long-term financial health. The last time the two sides failed to reach a deal before the school year, teachers struck for five days in 2022.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.