Seattle teachers vote to ratify contract

SEATTLE — Heads of the Seattle Education Association announced on Tuesday morning that a new contract for teachers and staff had been approved during a union vote on Monday.

A Zoom call was used to make the announcement. Union officials said about 80% of teachers voted yes and that turnout was high.

The vote to ratify brings an end to the teachers’ strike that delayed the start of school for nearly 50,000 students in the state’s largest school district. The agreement that was ratified by the union is a 3-year contract.

Teachers had stopped picketing Sept. 13 and classes actually started the following day.  Classes remained in session for the start of this week as the vote went forward on Monday.

Union officials did highlight some major gains for the district and for union membership. That included more staffing as well as a raise.

SEA had released some details, saying that union members will receive a raise in the first year of the contract and raises in both years 2 and 3.

There also will be new positions at the school district including those to support mental health, more social workers, nurses and language specialists.

Union heads said the ratio of those positions to the number of students may not be ideal even under this agreement, but they did say that the hope is to work with Seattle Public Schools to try to improve the ratios for those staff members.

Union leadership also said that the vote may have seen some of the largest engagement ever by union members when it comes to negotiating a new contract. Several of them highlighted that more than 4,000 members voted. There are roughly 6,000 educators and staff within the union.

The agreement offered this solution for pay:

• As part of the proposed contract, all union-represented educators and school staff will receive a 7% raise the first year, followed by a 4% raise in 2023-24 and a 3% raise in 2024-25.
• If the cost-of-living increase is higher than 4% or 3% in years two and three, respectively, the wage increase will go up to match the cost-of-living increase.

The contract will create more than $200 million in additional costs for the district. Board members voiced concerns for a continued budget shortfall at last week’s budget meeting. Another budget meeting is set for October.

The Seattle School Board will also need to vote on the contract before it formally goes into effect.

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