Tacoma teacher contract talks were put on hold last weekend after the school district requested Friday that negotiations go through a neutral third party.
The third party, called a fact-finder, will hold hearings where Tacoma Public Schools and the Tacoma Education Association present their positions. The fact-finder will issue a non-binding decision, such as whether the district can pay what teachers have requested.
SCHOOL TRACKER: Check negotiations in your district
The Tacoma Education Association, which represents teachers, office professionals, and professional-technical employees in the Tacoma district, said a fact-finder would slow down negotiations for at least a week and prolong the strike, which began Wednesday night.
The association also said a fact-finder will not resolve key issues or force a contract.
“TPS continues to look for novel ways to avoid good-faith bargaining, but the reality is that our contract must be settled at the bargaining table,” Tacoma Education Association President Angel Morton said in a statement.
However, Tacoma Public Schools said after nine days of bargaining, “both sides remain far apart.”
“We have worked hard to support them and make the most competitive offer possible under the district’s financial limitations,” Tacoma Public Schools wrote in a statement.
Tacoma, which has about 30,000 students, was one of six Western Washington districts that canceled classes due to teacher strikes.
The negotiations stem from the McCleary Decision, where the state Supreme Court ruled that Washington was not adequately funding education. The state legislature set aside $2 billion in the current budget for teacher salaries.
Tacoma Public Schools has historically struggled financially, and the district says it’s facing a $25 million budget shortfall.
The district said earlier this week it is restricted in how much of a raise it can offer teachers, because the funding law approved by the legislature limits pay hikes in districts like Tacoma to no more than 3.1 percent for 2018-19.
