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Seattle schools strike averted, tentative agreement reached
Seattle Public Schools and the teachers union reached a deal to avert a strike after bargaining all day and night.
SEATTLE - Seattle Public Schools and the teachers union reached a deal to avert a strike after bargaining all day and night.
Tentative bargaining agreement averted strike
What we know:
The agreement allows the first day of school to open as scheduled on Wednesday at 7:55 a.m., welcoming all 50,000 Seattle students. Both the union and the school board must officially vote to ratify the agreement.
Teachers were fighting for higher wages, more resources, and stronger structure and support for special education. Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner stated that the contract sets a firm setting for finances over the next three years and confirmed that school closures remain off the table this year.
What we don't know:
The exact date and time when the teachers union and the school board will hold their official votes to ratify the tentative agreement have not been released.
What they're saying:
"I think that we made some really good progress, and I think probably the most important thing that we did is we were able to start building a good relationship with the superintendent," said Heather Barker, a third grade teacher.
"We won some great wins and that’s going to make our employer the best employer in the region," said Davina Diaz, vice president and lead bargainer with SEA.
"This contract puts us on a really good, firm setting , that we know what our finances are going to look like for the next three years," said Ben Shuldiner, Seattle Public Schools superintendent.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from live broadcast reporting by FOX 13 reporter Taylor Winkel on location at Alki Elementary, as well as statements by Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner, SEA Vice President and Lead Bargainer Davina Diaz, and a third grade teacher Heather Barker.
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