After failing to reach deal on new contract, North Thurston teachers to picket Thursday

After failing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement for the upcoming school year with district officials, members of the North Thurston Education Association plan to picket Thursday at the North Thurston Public Schools offices, the group announced Wednesday.

Education association members will meet at North Thurston High School at 7:45 a.m. and march to the district’s offices for an informal picketing.

The current contract between the education association and the district expires Aug. 31. Classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 7.

The education association will meet on Aug. 31 and may consider a tentative agreement or a strike authorization.

Ray Nelson, the education association’s president, said educators’ workload is their top priority.

“Like everyone else, students have had a rough couple of years,” Nelson said in a news release. “That means students need more of our time, not less. Quality suffers when we have too many things on our plate all at once, and we don’t have appropriate time to prepare our lessons.”

The education association said its members are also seeking a pay increase to keep up with rising costs.

“We will lose quality educators if the North Thurston Public Schools continues to refuse to address our relentless workload and its impact on our students’ education,” said Katie Agren from Chinook Middle School. “I hope we are not forced to go on strike, but I’ll fight for my students’ right to a decent education if we have to.”

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