Seattle Education Association members on Saturday voted to approve a new contract.
Union members met at Benaroya Hall for several hours to discuss and cast their vote on the deal, which is a one-year contract with a 10.5 percent pay increase across the board.
Three groups had to approve the contract: The Seattle Association of Educational Office Professionals (SAEOP), which represents clerical and classified employees, and the para-professionals group were the first to approve the contract. The third group, which comprises of certified teachers, were the last to vote.
Some members were asking for more money and wanted to hold out or strike, especially looking at teacher pay raises in other school districts. One of the teachers on the bargaining team, however, said it was the most realistic deal they could reach this year.
"There was a lot on the table and we surely didn't get everything we wanted, but it's a one-year contract. And we're ready to go back and negotiate for the rest of it. But for the money that was there, we got a really good contract. But it's not over," said Toni O'Neal, an elementary school teacher who was on the bargaining team for the Seattle Education Association.
Matt Schiavo is a teacher who voted against the deal.
"This was a once in a lifetime teacher raise they were calling it, and that's not what our numbers show, but I guess the majority disagreed, and that's probably because we started school," Schiavo said. "Once we start school, people don't want to disrupt their kids lives."
He said he wanted a higher percentage raise to afford a home and the cost of living in Seattle.
Elaine Simons is a substitute teacher in SPS. She voted no hoping for a better benefits package.
"As far as the raise, I'm happy they're voting for all of us across the board," she said. "But they didn't allow us to vote on pieces. So the larger picture, I was concerned about the healthcare portion because that personally impacts me."
In a statement, Seattle Public Schools said the deal will expand school-based Race and Equity Teams to address opportunity gaps, increase professional development for staff and substitutes, and add parental/guardian paid leave for adoption.
"These new supports will help ensure every student in Seattle receives the educations they deserve and that families expect," the district wrote.
O'Neal stressed that this is a one-year deal, and the bargaining team will come back to the table in the relatively near future.
"Live to fight another day," said O'Neal. "Because again, we got 10.5% for everybody."
Thousands of Washington students have not started the new school year as bargaining continues in three Western Washington school districts: Centralia, Tumwater, and Tacoma.
Check the KING 5 School Tracker to see where your district stands
This year has seen the most teacher strikes in Washington state since 1983. The reason stems from the McCleary Decision, which set aside $2 billion for teacher salaries in the current budget.
