MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Mount Vernon paraeducators reached an agreement with the school district after a two-day strike.
A spokesperson for the paraeducators’ union, Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948, confirmed Thursday that the parties reached a deal.
The agreement includes a 5.2% raise for all paraeducators this year, along with other perks. The agreement is "almost double the original offer that was on the table," according to a statement from Mount Vernon Union Chapter President Freedom Gassoway.
The Mount Vernon School District canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday after the paraeducators and the district didn’t ratify a collective bargaining agreement for the upcoming school year. The first day of school was supposed to be Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Class is scheduled to resume Tuesday, Sept. 3.
The district said classes would begin Sept. 3 for kindergarten through 12th grade. School officials made the decision to not begin classes Friday to give staff time to prepare. The district was also concerned about the potential for high absenteeism Friday ahead of the holiday weekend.
During the strike, paraeducators picketed outside district offices demanding what they said equated to respect.
The details of the tentative agreement were not made public. However, the paraeducators union previously said they asked for “fair, livable and competitive” wages.
Teachers who are part of the Mount Vernon Education Association voted earlier this week to support the paraeducators’ strike and not cross the picket line.
In Washington state, a paraeducator is a district employee that usually works under the supervision of a teacher and can assist as an extra pair of hands both in and out of the classroom. The Mount Vernon Education Association said paraeducators serve as bus and safety monitors, tutors, one-on-ones for students with special needs, among other positions.
Other districts across western Washington are also facing the possibility of a strike as contract negotiations are underway. In Yelm, teachers voted to strike Sept. 3 if the union was unable to reach an agreement with Yelm Community Schools.