Seattle teachers went on strike Wednesday, delaying the start of classes and demanding higher wages, smaller caseloads and more resources.
The strike was authorized by the 6,000-member Seattle Education Association Tuesday morning with a large majority of teachers supporting the action.
The union said on its website, “75% of SEA members voted. 95% voted to authorize a strike. Picket lines open in front of every SEA workplace at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow where [office professionals], paraprofessionals, substitutes, and certificated members will stand united.”
The picket lines will be outside schools until 3:30 p.m.
“We are optimistic the bargaining teams will come to a positive solution for students, staff, and families. Negotiations with SEA are ongoing,” Seattle Public Schools said in a statement.
Services offered by Seattle public schools, including free lunch and after-school athletics, will continue during the strike.
SEA’s goals include higher wages, smaller caseloads for teachers and students, and greater resources for special education and English-language learners.
The SEA stated on its website, “93% of us are working more than our assigned or contract hours, and 25% of us are working 10+ additional hours a week. … When our jobs require work outside of contract hours, such as mandatory committee meetings, SPS must acknowledge it by removing other tasks or recognizing it with additional pay.”
Thus far, Seattle Public Schools have offered “pay raises of an additional 1% above the 5.5% cost-of-living increase set by state lawmakers … plus one-time bonuses for certain teachers, including $2,000 for third-year Seattle teachers earning an English language or dual-language endorsement,” according to The Associated Press.
Pandemic funding has bolstered school budgets, encouraging teachers to demand pay raises.
“By all measures, school budgets actually look pretty good right now. So as teachers union contracts are expiring, they’re looking for new deals that essentially send more funding to teachers and more funding to students,” education policy professor Bradley Marianno told the AP.
The SEA, for its part, says it has tabulated its demands within the constraints of the district’s budget.
“We‘re not asking for the moon. We recognize we have to put forth proposals that work within the district’s budget. Everything that we put in, we know the district can afford,” SEA President Jennifer Matter told the Seattle Times.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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