49 Replies to "Seattle Public Schools teachers' contract talks resume tomorrow, with union-set deadline"

• Alex August 24, 2015 (10:11 pm)

  Holy wow, asking for a 21% salary increase over 3 years?! I mean, I’m all for better teacher pay, but even to me that sounds ludicrous to ask of SPS. That money needs to come from the state, and there’s only so much that local funds can reasonably supplement. It’s not as if the district can just magically increase the state salary schedule.

• Seattle educator August 24, 2015 (10:44 pm)

  @Alex- I am not sure you understand how teacher pay works. Teachers are paid in part by the state which is their base salary, and the rest of their pay is from their district. In Seattle, the average teacher makes $50,000 roughly. Of that pay, only about $12,000 comes from the district. The teachers are asking for a 7% increase each year for 3 years from the district. This is $840 a year. Over 3 years this is about a 5% raise based on their total salary.

• Lynn August 24, 2015 (11:32 pm)

  @Alex,

  In contrast, the district is offering these raises over three years: 2%, 2.5%, 2.5%. Fun fact – the district wants to increase teacher work hours by over 6% with no additional increase in pay. How would you respond if your employer made you that offer?

• Mcbride August 24, 2015 (11:45 pm)

  Or arbitration, for that matter.
  .
  If one side picks a high number (21%), and another side picks a low number (7%), you wind up somewhere in the middle. Using Seattle Educator’s numbers, around 2-3% a year. Which is just about COLA. Remember when you had to picket and have everyone hate you in order to keep up with inflation? Me neither.
  .
  The thing that gets me? We’ll support the concept of education like nobody’s business, but the educators themselves can go get bent. I just don’t get it.

• Over there August 24, 2015 (11:45 pm)

  7 percent a year, that’s funny. How about no. Of course the not so bright board members will approve it. Such is life in seattle. Very happy I do not have kids attending sps, not happy I have to pay for this buffoonery.

• kit mccormick August 25, 2015 (1:37 am)

  According to the records of the US inflation rate, (http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/), the last six years has had an inflation rate of 10%. As a Seattle teacher, I have had neither a COLA or a pay raise during that time. Could you give us a break? I need to pay my bills too! The state legislature gave all state employees a 200 per month raise for health care costs – teachers got 12. Really?!

• Luke August 25, 2015 (4:17 am)

  I don’t have much to add other than I am a strong union man and you teachers have my full support. It’s criminal what you get paid and what is expected of you.

• Greg August 25, 2015 (5:07 am)

  I’m with Luke!

• Yeah August 25, 2015 (5:24 am)

  Sure teachers need good pay…BUT asking for it right before school starts and threatening to strike is BS!!!!
  You are jeopardizing the kids education and thinking of yourselves first…
  Not sure if it’s your union behind tactics but if it is they need to go…
  Their salaries are public funded and they need to do their jobs when the jobs start. put those lazy Union reps you pay for to work during the summer and get the negotiations done then… DONT MALE THE kIDS PAY for your poor Union tactics…

• Birgit August 25, 2015 (5:59 am)

  Since when do we ask employees to extend their work day and not pay them for it? Criminal indeed! I’m with Luke too.

• Be mama August 25, 2015 (6:34 am)

  I’m with the teachers!!!!!

• yes2ws August 25, 2015 (6:39 am)

  Alex, you must be new to WA. (Or you’ve been here and have only just recently taken an interest in teacher pay.) As others have pointed out, teachers have had neither a pay increase nor a cost of living adjustment for the past six years. [Heavy emphasis on “the past six years”.] This is already a sorely underpaid profession. Now there’s mention of a proposal to tack on additional hours at no additional pay? The vast majority of teachers are already voluntarily, but out of necessity, putting in an obscene amount of unpaid time.

• DP August 25, 2015 (7:06 am)

  @Yeah – teachers did not just start asking for this list. Negotiations have been occurring for months.

• miws August 25, 2015 (7:16 am)

  I Stand With the Teachers

  .

  Mike

• SomeGuy August 25, 2015 (7:41 am)

  Our teachers earn every penny they are paid and IMO they certainly deserve a raise.

• AmandaKH August 25, 2015 (7:59 am)

  I stand with Seattle’s teachers.

• KT August 25, 2015 (8:02 am)

  I would love to know exactly when contract negotiations started and how many negotiating sessions have been held since that start date?

  • WSB August 25, 2015 (8:17 am)

    The “more than 20 times” that we mention is from the union news release. I couldn’t find a web link of the full release after it was sent as inline text last night. But here’s that section:

    “We’ve been negotiating since May and we’ve met more than 20 times. Now it’s up to the Seattle School Board. We need the administration to return to the table Tuesday and work with us to get it done,” said SEA President Jonathan Knapp. “Right now, we’re not even close.

    The full district release, which is on a webpage as linked in the story above, begins with the specific date – May 20th.

• AMD August 25, 2015 (8:13 am)

  I stand with Seattle’s teachers. They deserve so much better than going year after year with no pay raises.

• Gah! August 25, 2015 (8:15 am)

  I support fair pay for all – but why does this nonsense always boil down to 11th hour negotiations? This is why unions suck.

• Anne August 25, 2015 (8:38 am)

  Why is there not enough money to pay teachers fairly? At least part of it is this: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/supreme-court-orders-100000-per-day-fines-in-mccleary-case/
  Chronically under-funded schools have trouble paying fair salaries, making needed repairs and upgrades to buildings, and providing the basics that students need to learn (textbooks, library books, consumables like paper and pencils and crayons). Try doing your job in a place that’s falling apart and without the tools you need to succeed.
  I support the teachers.

• Anonymous August 25, 2015 (8:42 am)

  @ Yeah
  Actually, SPS and the SEA have been bargaining since May.

  They have all been working all summer.

  The “union reps” as you called them – most of which are teachers, paraprofessional, and SEAOP office workers, gave up their time to bargain for their coworkers.

  This is happening now because they tried until the last minute to get a fair and equitable contract.

  In addition, there is no strike yet. There is still one more week for the SEA and the SPS to reach a tentative agreement.

  Why wait? Not because the school workers are selfish, no because they don’t want to strike unless they HAVE to. If their hand is forced I’m sure they will.

  So why threaten?
  Because they care about the students, and the very threat of strike may help move bargaining forward.

  Let’s face it though everyone is focusing on pay. What about the 45 minute recess they are requesting for all elementary students that research fully supports and SPS rejected.

  What about the SEA’s desire to have equity training and an equity team for all schools and the SPS responce that they will launch it in SIX?

  There is more to this than pay. The focus on that takes away from other important issues and allows for a “blame the teachers” mentality that narrows the big pictures.

  Just my two cents.

• Leslie Harris August 25, 2015 (8:50 am)

  Of real importance to this discussion, is how many bargaining sessions SPS did not show up for, is how Special Ed IAs will be deployed, is how many grievances the other large union IUOE Local 609 has had to file recently, – brinksmanship is not a one way street and one would hope for more bargaining in good faith from SPS. Belltimes, recess and lunch times, testing, and more hiring of adminstrators when funds and bodies are needed in the classroom are all issues SPS needs to be more proactive and transparent on.

• G August 25, 2015 (9:14 am)

  Teacher’s are asking for more money simply because they can and they know they have the State, parents, and children over a barrel. Let’s be honest about it. Anyone one of us in the private sector could come up with a myriad of reasons why we should be paid more, rightly or wrongly, but we know we’re replaceable. (Who gets summers off, anyway?) Teachers are so insistent about referring to themselves as “professionals,” but is an elementary teacher really in the same league, compensation-wise or in terms of training, as a physician, an accountant, or lawyer? I had a stint teaching college, but I never considered myself a professional. I was a teacher and there was nothing wrong with that designation.

• Covester August 25, 2015 (9:15 am)

  I too, stand with the teachers. “Beatings will continue until morale improves” does not a functioning educational system make.

• Lynn August 25, 2015 (9:20 am)

  @Yeah, KT and Gah,

  Union representatives have met more than twenty times since May 20th. District representatives have been no-shows at several of those scheduled meetings – most often the special education administrators. Over the course of these meetings, the union made many thoughtful proposals – which the district refused to respond to until August 17th.

  You know who sucks here? Our Superintendent who is trying to manipulate public opinion against our teachers instead of working with them in good faith to ensure the best possible conditions for our children.

  I’ll be wearing red in solidarity with our teachers as the bargaining continues.

• WS teacher August 25, 2015 (9:31 am)

  Educators wanted a tentative contract yesterday. The district is the party that, last minute, rejected almost all union proposals – with no feedback or alternate proposals – and tacked on the extra time with no pay and no plan. I think some of you should direct the disdain you feel for unions towards the school district (and legislature that refuses to fund them).

  For those who support us, THANK YOU.

• Ami August 25, 2015 (10:26 am)

  @KT and Gah! At the end of May, we signed a petition asking the district to work to ensure we could vote on a contract on August 24th. Negotiations started in June. Our union bargaining team has worked all summer to get this contract done well in advance of the start of school. It is the district team who didn’t show up for meetings or came woefully unprepared. It is the district who threw out an untenable 11th hour proposal to lengthen the school day without any compensation. SEA is not at fault. Our union is doing right by students and educators. The blame for inaction and lack of good faith falls squarely on Seattle Public Schools. All anger and frustration should be directed at them. I don’t want to strike. I want to start school on time with a fair contract. We all do.

• melissa August 25, 2015 (10:42 am)

  It makes me unreasonably happy to read the comments here. With the exception of a few people who aren’t aware of the facts of the negotiations and school funding, the people here support and are positive about our teachers. And, really, the teachers’ list of expectations is sensible, compassionate, and supportive of kids. Why does the district object?

  Also, there’s a protest coming up for which the teachers are requesting support, isn’t there? If anyone knows the details, please post.

• les August 25, 2015 (11:22 am)

  Teachers receive excellent benefits many of them last a lifetime. If you add the current salary and the benefits together it’s a great job to have and retire from..

• Kathy August 25, 2015 (11:38 am)

  Melissa,
  There is to be a Rally for Recess and Equity at Leschi Elementary this Thursday, 8/27 11am.

  One of SEA’s proposals is to bring back at least 45 minutes of recess to every k-5 school.

• parent August 25, 2015 (12:12 pm)

  I fully support teachers. Of course I want my kid in school, but this can’t continue. Teachers selflessly come to school and greet our kids with a smile everyday, ready to help them. They deserve respect and fair pay.

• Peter August 25, 2015 (1:11 pm)

  @Les: Sadly, that is no-longer true. At least, not in Seattle. Full disclosure: I’m not a teacher. However, my wife is, and we’ve had heated debates on this topic. “Excellent” benefits is subjective, but there was a time when total compensation allowed a teacher in Seattle to support a family and have a decent standard of living. Teachers, like many other professions, are being progressively squeezed on the benefits and are being asked to “do more with less”. They’ve also gone without a meaningful pay raise for longer than most. There are many professions where folks need to routinely work more than 40 hours a week without extra pay, to get the job done. They are usually categorized as “management”, and base pay compensated accordingly. Not so, teachers. This is an expensive city to live in. How are we going to attract good talent to the job if we don’t pay fairly? All we’ll have left is idealists (often with another source of family income), and veterans holding on as best they can until they can retire. Is that what we want for our kids? My wife was told the state has hired constitutional lawyers to fight the Supreme Court decision, instead of coming up with a plan to comply. Makes sense, right?

• Wes C. Addle August 25, 2015 (3:59 pm)

  I stand with the teachers and with all other professions that are criminally underpaid.

• AceMotel August 25, 2015 (4:20 pm)

  I stand with all teachers, and that means I stand with the children, and the future. I can’t think of any more valuable work. What is expected from our teachers, and the compensation they receive, is disgraceful. And that applies to kindergarten and preschool teachers too.

• DP August 25, 2015 (6:03 pm)

  @G – just because an elementary school teacher doesn’t do what a lawyer does, it does not mean they aren’t a professional. Besides, who said teachers want lawyer-level compensation? Sure, a teacher may not be able to do what a lawyer does, but you think all lawyers can be educators?

• erico August 25, 2015 (6:45 pm)

  G –
  While you might not think that you were professional during your stint teaching college, by any definition I can find public school teachers qualify as professionals.

• Adam August 25, 2015 (8:16 pm)

  Go teachers!!

  As a husband, cousin and nephew of teachers I know first hand how much time, energy and money they spend on their students and that’s before the bell even rings. Our teachers haven’t received the benefits and pay that even keeps up with inflation.
  @yeah – it’s not their fault that the contract they have ends right before school.

• AHParent2 August 25, 2015 (8:58 pm)

  I support the teachers!!

• HappyOnAlki August 25, 2015 (8:58 pm)

  I stand with Seattle’s teachers.

• greg August 25, 2015 (9:01 pm)

  les – please tell me about these lifetime benefits that teachers get

  G – Please tell me what makes someone a professional – is it a college education, is it ongoing education througout your career, is it long hours dedicated to excellence, ’cause teachers have those. Or in your mind is it someone who works in an office with other adults

• Ivan August 26, 2015 (11:34 am)

  Gah! says:
  –
  “I support fair pay for all – but why does this nonsense always boil down to 11th hour negotiations? This is why unions suck.”
  –
  Fair pay for all is rarely, if ever, accomplished solely through the good will of the employer. To ensure fair pay for all almost always requires a union contract.
  –
  In this case, the District is proposing to lengthen the teachers’ work day, for a 7 percent salary increase over three years. Without a union, it would be “take it or leave it.” “Take it or leave it” is why there are unions. If you think that sucks, I think yours, thankfully, is a minority position.

• Eric August 26, 2015 (5:10 pm)

  Go teachers!

• Brian August 28, 2015 (12:36 pm)

  Public sector unions should be against the law.

  “All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt in his letter to the National Federation of Federal Employees in 1937.

• Community Member August 28, 2015 (11:36 pm)

  @Brian – What – because a leader 80 years ago said ( like one time ) that the people who decide how the tax dollars get spent shouldn’t be the same as the people arguing for more pay – because of that you’re willing to dismiss all unions for government employees?
  .
  I think you need more than an 80-year-old quote to support that position.

• Amy August 29, 2015 (9:08 am)

  Please come support us by standing with us at any of our local high schools on Wednesday, September 2nd at around 3:30. Our vote for a tentative agreement or strike will take place the next day.

  Thanks!

• Will August 31, 2015 (11:50 am)

  I think those who find the 7%/year salary increase request surprising, and who feel like teachers have too much leverage, need to understand some facts.

  First, teachers received no cost of living increases for many years, even though voters passed a referendum requiring the state to provide them.

  Second, the union has been bargaining since June 2015; however, the school district has not shown up to several scheduled bargaining sessions.

  Third, the school district proposed a 30-minute longer work day (without a similar % pay increase) at the last minute. This puts teachers in a very difficult position to either accept an unfair contract, or to set a deadline for a fairer offer. The district does not take the union seriously unless they know teachers may strike.

  Fourth, teachers do not like to strike. They understand the impact on students’ families. Teachers also do not get paid during strikes, and many live paycheck to paycheck because of their very low salaries. No one wants to start later and end later in the summer. Teachers only set deadlines for strikes, and go on strike, if there is no reasonable compromise presented by the school district without those actions.

  Fifth, there are other important issues, other than teacher salaries to attract the most talented professionals, over which the union and school district are bargaining. One only need read the news or visit http://www.seattlewea.org/ to understand all of the issues better. All of them in one way or another affect students’ well being, including issues surrounding equity and achievement.

  Finally, the 7%/year is the union’s starting point. As with any negotiation, teachers understand that this number (although, I think fair) will change. However, the school district waited until the last minute to start proposing numbers which are far too low. Again, this puts teachers between a rock and a hard place to accept an unfair agreement or to set a deadline for a fairer agreement or a strike.

• RealityCheck September 1, 2015 (4:45 pm)

  A lot of us are tired of listening to teachers who poormouth themselves and the sucker parents who fall for it time after time. Add pension + salary for a 10 month work year & they are paid WELL more than the average Washington worker. More teacher’s union brinkmanship negotiating tactics to go on strike next week and our kids are the ones who suffer since their interests are placed last. Sure, give them the raise and cut the defined pension benefit to ZERO which we should be doing with all state workers who have negotiated these legacy retirement schemes. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/research-shows-seattle-school-district-pays-some-highest-teacher-salaries-state-%E2%80%93-average-

• Brooke September 8, 2015 (2:41 pm)

  Don’t listen to the Haters! Stand with Seattle Teachers for what is fair! I’m with Luke. Teachers need to take a stand more often. Our Schools are in a pattern of Corporate Takeover. Our children don’t deserve that type of Education. Thanks for making it happen in Your Union, Teachers.

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