Seattle Teachers End Strike, Aiming For More Employees For Fewer Students

Seattle Teachers End Strike, Aiming for More Employees for Fewer Students

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The Seattle Education Association has officially reached a preliminary agreement with the Seattle Public Schools following a week-long strike. Representing approximately 6,000 public school teachers and support employees, the union expressed gratitude for the hard work put in by both teams to reach a resolution. The district also acknowledged the joint effort in their statement.

In light of the announcement, comments on the union’s Facebook page indicate that members are disappointed about being asked to vote on suspending the strike without having access to the complete tentative agreement. This process was previously used by the Seattle union during the end of their strike in 2015, which also resulted in similar complaints.

The vote to suspend the strike and return to work received significant attention and showcased the frustration of union members. After extensive debate, only 57% voted in favor of the suspension. However, this majority was sufficient, and schools reopened on September 14.

While union members express concerns about the lack of transparency, the citizens of Seattle, who bear the financial responsibility for the negotiated provisions, have yet to learn any details about the contents of the contract. Such secrecy following an agreement is unwarranted.

In their public statements, the union has downplayed their salary demands, instead advocating for "respectful pay." Their primary concerns revolve around the insufficient staffing for English learners and special education students, whom the district seeks to integrate into mainstream classrooms.

Nearly 85 cents of every dollar allocated to Seattle Public Schools is spent on employee wages and benefits. The salary range for teachers extends from a minimum of $63,180 to a maximum of $123,506, with an average salary of $88,897 reported for the 2020-21 academic year.

The legislature has approved a 5.5% pay increase to account for inflation for K-12 employees throughout the state. Additionally, the district has offered an additional 1% increase on top of this. While these figures may appear respectful, nearby Kent has recently settled an eight-day strike with an 8% raise, leading to speculations that the Seattle union aimed for similar results.

Regarding staffing, Marguerite Roza from Edunomics Lab shared a graph illustrating Seattle’s enrollment and staffing numbers since 2013-14. The data reveals that the number of individuals present in Seattle’s schools remains relatively constant compared to the past, with 1,725 fewer students but 1,711 more employees.

Edunomics Lab also reports that the district’s budget for the following year includes funding for 501 additional full-time equivalent teachers’ aides, a substantial increase compared to the cumulative growth over the previous eight years.

The Seattle union had strategically communicated the issue of understaffing months before by conducting a member survey. The survey results indicated that one-third of the city’s school employees plan to leave the district within the next five years. However, when analyzing the percentage of employee turnover over the previous five years, it becomes evident that it was 40%. Hence, losing one-third of employees within the next five years would actually represent an improvement in retention rates.

Despite these details, which may not have a significant impact on the settlement, the union has celebrated the positive media coverage it received and even invested in paid advertising to promote its positions.

One member of the school board, Lisa Rivera-Smith, attributed the stalemate to the legislature, stating, "We can’t extract the necessary resources from the limited provisions they’ve given us."

As per state law, 180 days of instruction are mandated, meaning that the strike days will eventually be compensated for in some way. However, for students who have already missed nearly two years of classroom time, the strike further exacerbates their learning setbacks.

Mike Antonucci’s Union Report is typically published on Wednesdays. For a comprehensive archive of previous reports, please refer to the complete collection.