4:28 PM: That’s the picket line along SW Thistle outside Chief Sealth International High School (mouse over the image to show and click the video’s “play” button), one of two sites in West Seattle and nine around the city where Seattle Education Association members are picketing on the eve of their strike vote.
After more than three months of contract talks, there’s no agreement, so when members from around the city meet at Benaroya Hall tomorrow evening, they’ll be voting on whether to strike. As noted in our most recent coverage here and here, the issues on which they disagree include pay increases and guaranteed recess time. The SEA members picketing at Sealth are from not just that school but also its “feeder” elementary and middle schools; we’re heading next to West Seattle High School, where picketing also is supposed to be happening until 5:30 pm. The first day of classes for Seattle Public Schools is scheduled to be one week from today, Wednesday, September 9th.
5:14 PM: We aren’t going to make it over to WSHS because of the breaking story we’re covering. If anyone has a photo to share of picketing there, please send – editor@westseattleblog.com – so we can add. Meantime, Melissa has sent a photo from Delridge/Thistle, a few blocks east of the Sealth picketing:
10:02 PM: We did get photos from the WSHS picketing – thank you!
That photo is from Roland; the next one, from Rich.
The district has published another update, saying it has asked for mediation, and that the union has agreed, starting Friday. There’s also an update on the union website. Both updates spell out the respective sides’ views on where they remain apart.
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