The Seattle teachers strike that has delayed the first day of school since the middle of last week appears to be nearing an end.
Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association reached a tentative agreement late Monday night but neither side had released details—including when school will start—as of mid-morning Tuesday Eastern time. Schools remained closed on Tuesday. “We stuck together, made our strength and unity known, and it worked,” the union announced on Twitter shortly before midnight on Monday. “Our solidarity on the picket lines and the enormous community support we received made all the difference.”
We stuck together, made our strength and unity known, and it worked. We are excited to have a Tentative Agreement (TA) with Seattle Public Schools. Our solidarity on the picket lines and the enormous community support we received made all the difference. pic.twitter.com/PyZIiHo3cz
— SeattleEdAssoc (@SeattleEdAssoc) September 13, 2022
“This was an incredible effort by the SPS and SEA bargaining teams,” the district said on its website Tuesday. “A special thank you to our educators who are the backbone of our school district. They work hard every day supporting our students and families. We are proud to move in a direction that will better meet the needs of our students and staff.”
The union is expected to vote on the agreement today, which could potentially end the strike. The 6,000-member union walked out on Sept. 7 seeking higher pay, reduced workloads and smaller class sizes. The union said many of its members were working more than their contracted hours, with some working 10 or more additional hours each week. It also demanded increased support for special education and multilingual programs.
Teachers also cited “pervasive toxicity and racism” in district schools. More than half of the union’s members have or have considered switching buildings, districts or even careers “because of racism, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, or lack of respect,” according to the union’s bargaining demands.
Seattle Public Schools, which serves about 50,000 students, has been providing meals at several sites and working to assist families with childcare services during the strike.
Teacher strikes also delayed the first day of school in other major cities. Teachers in Columbus, Ohio, won a 4% pay increase after a short strike earlier this month.
District Administration’s Micah Ward contributed to this report.
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