PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Teachers in the Port Angeles School District on Monday afternoon voted to authorize a strike as they seek a new contract before the school year starts Thursday. The current contract ends Wednesday.
Members of the Port Angeles Education Association voted during a meeting at Port Angeles High School, located at 304 E. Park Avenue.
The teachers union said it called on the district during spring to begin a conversation about a new contract that would better serve students. However, the union said the district “has yet to agree to the supports our students and our educators need to be successful.”
“If the district team is willing to come in, commit the time and attention then we can reach an agreement,” said Port Angeles Education Association President John Henry. “Get the district to the table and we can get this done. PAEA is ready. We have been since February.”
Teachers said they held two rallies last week, one in which they supported their bargaining team and the other, which was held at a school board meeting to express their discontent with the district’s reluctance to bargain, as there were only four bargaining dates since June. None of those were full days.
PAEA said that the district’s refusal to meet resulted in an authorization to strike.
“This is the last thing that educators want to do, start the year on strike. We have been trying to bargain for a very long time and have been pushed to this,” said Karen Doran from Dry Creek Elementary School. “We have little to no movement on planning time and class size. Both are essential to our ability to serve our students.”