Strike delays first day of school

Teachers seek higher pay in several districts in Washington state.

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The start of the school year has been delayed for more than 75,000 students in southwestern Washington state after teachers and districts failed to reach contract agreements, at odds mostly over salaries.

The Washington Education Assn., which represents state teachers, said educators in seven school districts were on strike Wednesday.

More walkouts were possible in the state as the teachers union and districts try to negotiate salary agreements.

Educators in Seattle — the state’s largest school district — voted Tuesday to authorize a strike unless a deal is reached by Sept. 5, when classes are set to begin. Unions representing educators in other cities have also authorized walkouts.

Several dozen districts have already reached agreements on teacher pay, many with double-digit-percentage increases, said Rich Wood, a Washington Education Assn. spokesman.

Teachers in most of the state’s 295 school districts opened contract negotiations in recent months after the Legislature in March approved an additional $1 billion for educator salaries this school year. The Legislature in 2017 also included about $1 billion over a twoyear period for salaries, starting this year.

The state had been under a Washington Supreme Court order to fully fund basic K-12 education. In late 2017, the court ordered the state to speed up its school funding plan to meet a Sept. 1, 2018, deadline, and lawmakers responded with the additional money.

Local unions representing teachers say districts now have the money to give teachers competitive salaries. But some school administrators say they also have to balance raises with the need to provide other services.

Teachers in Vancouver, Longview and Ridgefield are among those on strike.