Seattle teachers and support staff have authorized a strike if needed as they seek better pay and working conditions.
Seattle teachers and support staff have authorized a strike if needed as they seek better pay and working conditions.
Ninety-one percent of Seattle Education Association members voted to authorize a strike, the union said. The vote does not mean a strike will automatically happen; the union would not need to strike if it reaches a new contract agreement with Seattle Public Schools.
The union said the vote included teachers, paraeducators, office professionals, counselors, social workers and other SEA members, and showed that Seattle educators are united and ready to take action for the schools and support they say students deserve.
The vote followed 24 bargaining sessions with SPS since June, according to the SEA. The union said educators entered negotiations with proposals focused on improving student outcomes and finding ways to shift more resources into classrooms.
SEA bargaining team members said special education supports, pay and reducing pressure on educators are major sticking points.
The union said the strike authorization does not mean educators will definitely strike. However, it gives them the ability to call a strike if they do not reach an agreement with the district before the Sept. 2 start of school.
A strike could delay the start of school for Seattle Public Schools families. The current contract between SPS and the SEA expires Aug. 31.
“Our members have spoken, and we are united in our commitment to Seattle students,” the SEA’s vice president and lead bargainer said. “We are ready to keep working toward an agreement that gives educators the conditions we need to support every student and build the thriving schools our community deserves.”
Katy McDermott has been a nurse at SPS for five years and described a growing workload.
“Any increase in our staffing would tremendously help our students for their health and our student outcomes,” she told KOMO News. “It’s just really hard to keep up during the school year.”
McDermott is part of the Seattle Education Association, whose 6,000 members voted to authorize a strike if contract talks with SPS do not result in an agreement. The SEA is seeking more special education staff, smaller class sizes and raises of 1% to 2% above inflation, among other things.
“Folks should not have to work two or three jobs after also working at the schools,” McDermott added.
“We don’t want to strike, but unless the district starts prioritizing student learning and supports, the district is giving us no choice,” SEA President Ibijoke Idowu said.
The SEA said it will continue bargaining in good faith every day until an agreement is reached, while seeking improvements that support students, educators, families and the future of Seattle’s public schools.
This comes as the district is working to close an $87 million budget gap. The school board voted Wednesday on the recommended budget, which includes changes to school staffing and other cuts.
“Is now the time to ask for pay raises when the district is facing a budget crisis?” KOMO News’ Jackie Kent asked McDermott.
“The amount we’re asking is really just a drop in the bucket for what their large budget is,” she responded.
Washington Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, who has had four children in SPS, argues that the state Legislature needs to give schools more support. He is a proponent of the millionaires tax to provide a more stable state budget, but Initiative 645, which voters will consider in November, could repeal it.
“Until we have done that, it’s probably going to be pretty difficult for the district to afford a lot more in its agreement, but that doesn’t mean the teachers don’t deserve more,” Pedersen said. “The state needs to do more and do better in terms of funding education.”
Teachers most recently went on strike in 2022 during the last sizable negotiations, delaying the start of school by one week.
“Is that something you’re prepared to do again?” Kent asked.
“I mean, yeah,” McDermott responded. “We don’t want to. However, if that’s what it has to come to, then we will.”
In response to the ongoing contract talks, SPS Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said in an emailed statement that bargaining continues in good faith and with respect for labor partners.
Our team members have been working diligently to move negotiations forward, meeting throughout the weekend and continuing their round-the-clock efforts every day this week. Their dedication reflects a shared commitment to finding mutual agreement," Shuldiner wrote. "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.
