If the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools cannot reach an agreement, teachers could strike and delay the start of the school year.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) teachers will be voting Wednesday on a strike authorization, a decision that could determine whether students start the school year on time.
If the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools cannot reach an agreement, teachers could strike, possibly delaying the start of the school year.
The union is seeking several changes, including pay increases, as the district faces an $87 million budget deficit.
The SEA bargaining team said it is asking for more modest raises than in years past because of the deficit. Under the proposal, certified teachers would receive a 1.5% raise for this school year, 2% for the next year and 2.5% in the 2028-29 school year.
According to SEA, teachers currently earn an average salary of $117,000 each year. Current job postings show a salary range of nearly $75,000 to $146,000 per year.
SEA said educators are also seeking regulated class sizes and protections from pressurization so they can spend more meaningful time with students rather than completing district tasks.
"We don't want to go on strike. But if it means improving the working conditions and the learning conditions of our students, then we will," said Heather Barker, an SPS teacher and member of the SEA bargaining team.
Negotiations are ongoing, and the bargaining is all aimed at reaching a tentative agreement, according to SEA.
Bargaining will continue, and if they don’t reach an agreement, the strike would start Sept 2.
The district said SPS is focused on meeting students’ needs while limiting overspending.
The contract between SEA and SPS expires Aug. 31. The school year is scheduled to start days later on Aug. 2.
The most recent Seattle teachers’ strike was in 2022, delaying the start of the school year by one week.
