Tukwila, Washington teachers vote to authorize strike amid contract dispute

Teachers in Tukwila voted to authorize a strike beginning later this week if they can't come to a contract agreement with the school district. The Tukwila Education Association said Tuesday that the vote passed with 94 percent approval. TEA says teachers are paid significantly less than others in surrounding districts. "The school board needs to invest in the great educators who shape and nurture Tukwila students every day," TEA President Brian Seigel said in a release. The school year is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Sept. 4, for the Tukwila School District. If no contract agreement with the district is reached, the strike would start Friday. Last year, teachers in Tukwila went on strike for several days before coming to an agreement with the district.