Are Northshore teachers already planning to strike next year?

Maybe it’s saber rattling, or maybe it’s just the way things are done in Washingon state. Either way, teachers in the Northshore School District have already mentioned the word “strike” in advance of the next school year.

Liv Finne with the Washington Policy Center recently noted in her blog a series of developments in the school district, and points out that the teacher’s union was already discussing a strike in March when negotiations weren’t slated for another month.

“In their March newsletter, they listed a long list of demands they are making of the district,” Finne told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “Their collective bargaining agreement is coming up for negotiations. They are in negotiations right now. They list on the second page of their March newsletter that they need help and they need to get ready to strike.”

“This is despite the fact the legislature has provided the biggest increase in education funding in state history in the last four years,” she said. “The legislature has provided $4.7 billion to districts across the state to increase funding for education. So there is no necessity to strike. The money is there.”

The Washington Policy Center is a politically right-leaning organization that promotes “market solutions.” The Northshore School District covers the cities of Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville and more.

Finne notes that the Northshore Education Association March newsletter mentions strike tactics as the collective bargaining agreement opens for negotiations this year.

There’s a statement at the bottom of a list of things the union recommends its members can do to support its bargaining table team, which includes helping with school board presentations and communications support. It reads:

Coordinate picket activities if we go on strike. This includes working with Picket Captains, constructing picket signs, determining picket locations, distributing materials, writing and distributing the pocket line newsletter, and other communication.

Dori noted that, technically, teacher strikes in Washington state are illegal, but teachers often get away with them despite the law. He’s hoping that the talk of a strike is just that: talk.

“Maybe this is just posturing that will not come to fruition,” he said.

But Finne argues strikes have become a regular tactic in Washington.

“If you are a student in Washington state, then you are more likely to suffer from a teachers strike than if you lived in any other state in the country,” Finne said. “They are talking about a strike even before they have reached any kind of conflict with the administration in that district. It’s worrisome that the March newsletter would call for preparations before they even started negotiating. They started negotiating April 20. It sounds like it’s a pre-determined decision.”

Finne said that Northshore teachers, on average, make about $72,000 per year.

“Plus a benefits package of another $24,000 for a 10-month work yea,” Finne said. “The teachers are being paid reasonably well already. Certainly a lot more than the average person working and paying taxes to pay these salaries.”

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