EATONVILLE, Wash. — The Eatonville School District delayed the first day of school as teachers go on strike beginning Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The district and the Eatonville Education Association (EEA) failed to reach an agreement in contract negotiations Tuesday. Educators are planning to picket at various school sites Wednesday.
The union claims the district "continues to decline offers to speak about issues educators would like to see addressed, such as class size, staffing and workload."
The school district apologized for the inconvenience to families caused by the delay.
"Please know reaching an agreement is our highest priority. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this difficult time and look forward to welcoming our students and staff back to school as soon as possible, " the district said in a statement.
The EEA said it's asking the district for smaller class sizes, better student mental health and behavior support, reduced caseloads, support for split classrooms and competitive compensation.
The union said it reached out to the district in the spring to set up bargaining sessions. The district made its initial proposal to the teachers in July, in which the union said educators' proposals were respectfully declined.
Eatonville is among several school districts in western Washington where teachers are either striking or poised to strike over pay increases, classroom sizes and workloads.
Teachers in Kent, which is the fourth largest school district in Washington state, have been on strike since Aug. 25, delaying the first week of school. The KEA posted on Facebook on Sept. 7 that the union reached a tentative agreement with the district “in the wee hours of the morning.”
Teachers in Seattle, which is the largest district in the state, also went on strike starting Wednesday.