Published: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Teachers strike looms in Lake Stevens
Teachers authorize walkout if no deal is reached by Sept. 8; talks continue
Lake Stevens teachers have voted to go on strike unless they have a new contract before school starts.
The teachers say they will continue to bargain until Sept. 8, when classes are scheduled to begin.
Lake Stevens School District and Lake Stevens Education Association leaders have reached agreement on 45 items, but remain divided on more than a dozen others, district spokeswoman Arlene Hulten said.
“We’re still far apart on economic issues,” she said. “That includes pay and items with financial impact, including class size and planning time.”
The strike authorization vote was taken Thursday evening, and union officials say 88 percent of the members voted to strike. About 70 percent of the union membership was on hand to vote.
“We will return to work only when we have a ratified new contract,” said Kelly Snow, president of the teachers union.
Patty Hanson, co-vice president of the Sunnycest Elementary PTA, was surprised to hear of the possibility of a strike.
“It’s disappointing that it has come to this,” she said. “Marysville went through a strike a few years ago that took forever — and I’d really hate to see that happen in Lake Stevens, only because it seems like no one wins in that situation.”
There are more than 400 teachers and 7,000 students in the Lake Stevens School District. The district operates on a $70.7 million budget.
The union and the school district administration have been in negotiations since May. The labor contract expires Monday.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, and teachers have another general membership meeting Wednesday at 9 a.m.
“We’re not that far apart, to be honest,” Snow said. “We are very hopeful when we meet on Tuesday we will be able to come to an agreement.”
Talks have included one-, two- and three-year contract proposals, she said.
When it comes to salary increases, “we are not asking for a lot,” Snow said. “We are just trying not to fall further behind some of the other districts around us.”
Other key issues are middle and high school class size, special education class size and case loads, more time for parent-teacher conferences in the younger grades and elementary school planning time, she said.
Statewide cuts to education have hurt the district’s bottom line and complicated contract talks, Hulten said.
“Financially, there’s a limit to what the district can do,” she said. “We’ve already cut our budget for this upcoming school year by $4 million. We’ve had different employee groups take cuts. Administrators took furlough days. Secretaries did not take their negotiated 4 percent increase. A lot of our groups have stepped up to help the district.”
Lake Stevens teachers have gone on strike twice in the last 11 years in 1998 and 2003.
“I’m still hopeful we can get this done next week,” Hulten said.
Teacher contract talks also continue in the nearby Everett and Granite Falls school districts. The Everett Education Association and the Everett School District administration met at the bargaining table again Thursday night, but did not reach a settlement.
Negotiations continued Friday.
“The administration bargaining team has yet to address the professional needs of Everett teachers,” said Kim Mead, Everett Education Association president.
Although there is no contract agreement, Granite Falls school will open next Tuesday, said Kathy Grant, a school district spokeswoman.
Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292, kmanry@heraldnet.com.
The teachers say they will continue to bargain until Sept. 8, when classes are scheduled to begin.
Lake Stevens School District and Lake Stevens Education Association leaders have reached agreement on 45 items, but remain divided on more than a dozen others, district spokeswoman Arlene Hulten said.
“We’re still far apart on economic issues,” she said. “That includes pay and items with financial impact, including class size and planning time.”
The strike authorization vote was taken Thursday evening, and union officials say 88 percent of the members voted to strike. About 70 percent of the union membership was on hand to vote.
“We will return to work only when we have a ratified new contract,” said Kelly Snow, president of the teachers union.
Patty Hanson, co-vice president of the Sunnycest Elementary PTA, was surprised to hear of the possibility of a strike.
“It’s disappointing that it has come to this,” she said. “Marysville went through a strike a few years ago that took forever — and I’d really hate to see that happen in Lake Stevens, only because it seems like no one wins in that situation.”
There are more than 400 teachers and 7,000 students in the Lake Stevens School District. The district operates on a $70.7 million budget.
The union and the school district administration have been in negotiations since May. The labor contract expires Monday.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, and teachers have another general membership meeting Wednesday at 9 a.m.
“We’re not that far apart, to be honest,” Snow said. “We are very hopeful when we meet on Tuesday we will be able to come to an agreement.”
Talks have included one-, two- and three-year contract proposals, she said.
When it comes to salary increases, “we are not asking for a lot,” Snow said. “We are just trying not to fall further behind some of the other districts around us.”
Other key issues are middle and high school class size, special education class size and case loads, more time for parent-teacher conferences in the younger grades and elementary school planning time, she said.
Statewide cuts to education have hurt the district’s bottom line and complicated contract talks, Hulten said.
“Financially, there’s a limit to what the district can do,” she said. “We’ve already cut our budget for this upcoming school year by $4 million. We’ve had different employee groups take cuts. Administrators took furlough days. Secretaries did not take their negotiated 4 percent increase. A lot of our groups have stepped up to help the district.”
Lake Stevens teachers have gone on strike twice in the last 11 years in 1998 and 2003.
“I’m still hopeful we can get this done next week,” Hulten said.
Teacher contract talks also continue in the nearby Everett and Granite Falls school districts. The Everett Education Association and the Everett School District administration met at the bargaining table again Thursday night, but did not reach a settlement.
Negotiations continued Friday.
“The administration bargaining team has yet to address the professional needs of Everett teachers,” said Kim Mead, Everett Education Association president.
Although there is no contract agreement, Granite Falls school will open next Tuesday, said Kathy Grant, a school district spokeswoman.
Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292, kmanry@heraldnet.com.
Comments
(
