Judge orders Pasco teachers back to school

PASCO, Wash. (AP) — A Franklin County judge has ordered striking Pasco teachers to return to school on Tuesday, one week after their strike began.

The Tri-City Herald reports the judge granted the Pasco School District's request for an injunction on Friday morning to force an end to the strike.

Schools have been closed all week as negotiators have been meeting with a state mediator to reach a new contract agreement. The district serves about 17,000 students in southeast Washington.

Meanwhile, negotiators in Seattle are meeting with a state mediator on Friday to avoid a strike. Seattle teachers voted on Thursday night to go on strike next Wednesday if they do not have a tentative contract by then.

Spokane narrowly avoided a strike by all school employees when they reached a tentative contract agreement on Thursday evening.