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Striking Seattle teachers, school district to resume negotiations Saturday

By Rob Mackay
FOX 13 Seattle
Published September 11, 2015 4:40 PM PDT
Published September 11, 2015 4:40 PM PDT



SEATTLE —Negotiators for striking Seattle teachers and the school district said late Friday afternoon that they would resume contract talks on Saturday.

"After productive talks w/mediators today, both sides have agreed to resume negotiations Saturday!" the Seattle Education Associated tweeted at about 4:25 p.m. Friday.

"We are pleased to confirm SPS & @SeattleEA are officially resuming negotiations tomorrow," Seattle Public Schools tweeted a few minutes later. "Hopeful to get kids back to school soon."

About 5,000 teachers from the district's 97 schools have been on strike since Wednesday -- which was to have been the first day of the new school year.

No contract talks have been held since Wednesday, although both sides have been meeting separately with a federal mediator.

The district is offering teachers a pay increase of nearly 9 percent over three years. The teachers union has countered with a 10.5 percent increase over two years.



The strike affects about 53,000 students in the Seattle school district -- the largest in Washington state.