SEA Contract Update

From the SEA Blog:

Aug. 21 was SEA’s initial deadline for a tentative contract agreement. There is no agreement at this point. Bargaining continues today (Thursday, Aug. 22).

Saturday afternoon is the next deadline for the district administration to agree to a tentative agreement (TA). SEA’s bylaws require a TA to be shared with SEA members 72 hours prior to voting, and our next general membership meeting is Aug. 27 at 5 pm.

What’s the problem? So far, district administrators have been unwilling to invest in competitive and professional compensation for Seattle educators or the other support our students need to be successful. Instead, they’ve claimed they don’t have the money – which isn’t true. That’s the same excuse we’ve heard for the last four years. Every year, district administrators predict we’re going to end the school year with a budget deficit. Instead, administrators have built large budget surpluses each year, mainly by spending less on student services than they budgeted.

District budget administrators have consistently made dire predictions about the district’s finances – predictions that never came true.

Based on recent history, SEA members know that we have to constantly fight to get the resources and support our students need. We can’t rely on the district administration to do it on their own. When it comes to budget priorities, we can’t trust the administration to do the right thing for students unless they are forced to do so.

SEA Bargaining Priorities

➢ Professional Compensation and Fair Workloads

➢ Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student

➢ Supporting Professional Growth for All Educators

➢ Centering a Lens of Racial Equity Across all we do (School Board Policy 0030)

Seattle Public Schools need to provide competitive and professional compensation to continue attracting and keeping the caring, qualified and committed teachers and education support professionals our students deserve. The SEA Bargaining Team has told district negotiators our goal is to be in the top three to five of comparable districts, based on beginning, middle and top pay.

Meanwhile, members of the Mukilteo Education Association recently ratified a new three-year deal that raises their maximum pay to more than $120,000 – and that’s following a significant pay raise last year. Vashon Education Association members ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that includes a 13 percent pay raise this year, after negotiating a 10 percent increase in 2018.

The SEA Bargaining Team also remains committed to:

• Increasing support for and expanding racial equity teams in all of Seattle’s public schools.

• Increasing nurses, counselors, social workers and family support staff to ensure our most vulnerable students have the support they need to be successful.

Next SEA union actions
Tuesday, August 27 – General Membership Meeting
Our next SEA general membership meeting is Aug. 27. Registration starts at 3:30 pm, and the meeting starts at 5 pm at Benaroya Hall. 

We’ll either be voting on a tentative agreement – if we have one -- or our next steps.