Kennewick teachers and district reach tentative pay agreement
The Kennewick School District and teachers union have reached a tentative agreement over pay after working with a mediator.
The details aren’t being made public ahead of the Kennewick Education Association’s ratification vote on Monday.
The union, like many others across the state, has pushed for a double-digit raise for its members.
The Richland and Pasco school districts still are negotiating over teacher raises, while Finley and Columbia-Burbank educators have reached agreements.
Kennewick Superintendent Dave Bond said the district is pleased a deal was reached with the union that represents about 1,200 teachers, counselors and other certificated workers.
“Both sides met from 9:30 a.m. to just after midnight, working with the help of (state Public Employment Relations Commission) mediation, to come to an agreement on the new salary schedule,” he said in a statement.
Janet Bell, union president, said it was an “uphill battle.”
“We’ve had to work very hard to get to this point,” she said.
If a simple majority of the union members at Monday’s meeting approve the new salary schedule, the deal can move forward.
If not, a strike is a possibility. A separate vote would have to happen to start down that path.
Classes are scheduled to start Aug. 28.
The new salary schedule would cover the final year of the teachers’ existing three-year contract.
In Pasco, district and union leaders met Wednesday; a tentative agreement hadn’t been reached as of 4:30 p.m..
The district and union previously reached a tentative pact in July, with a 15-percent base salary raise the first year, but it wasn’t ratified.
Richland bargainers are headed back to the table Friday.
After an “unacceptable salary offer” from the district earlier this week, the Richland Education Association told members via Facebook that it’ll continue to negotiate, but they should come to a meeting Monday to “discuss strategies going forward.”
Ken Hays, union president, said he was touched by an outpouring of support from the community when teachers rallied at Tuesday’s school board meeting. Parents and students spoke in support of the teachers.
The district said it continues to bargain in good faith for a “sustainable and equitable deal” that helps attract and retain strong teachers.
Finley School District has reached a deal with its teachers union for a 13 percent raise.
In the Columbia School District in Burbank, a tentative deal has been struck but isn’t yet finalized. Superintendent Todd Hilberg said he’s hopeful that will happen by next week, adding that he couldn’t release the details until the pact was approved.
Kiona-Benton City School District officials couldn’t be reached Wednesday.
Wage negotiations are happening in districts across Washington, spurred by an overhaul of the state education funding system.
The Washington Education Association is urging local unions to push for raises of at least 15 percent for teachers and up to 37 percent for support staff, pointing to a $2 billion infusion for educator pay as part of the overhaul.
But some districts are saying it’s not that simple — that the funding changes set up a system of inequity in which some districts benefit but others are hurt.
The new system means a cap on the amount districts can collect through local property tax levies and puts strict limits on how levy money can be spent.
The old way of paying for teachers also was nixed, with a new flat formula replacing one in which years of experience and education level were factored in — potentially hurting districts with more experienced workforces.
This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 9:23 AM.