Washington state school district goes on strike – KESQ

By Paradise Afshar, CNN

Educators in a Washington state faculty district went on strike Friday as a result of the academics’ union and the Ridgefield College District (RSD) stay at loggerheads following months of collective bargaining negotiations.

It’s not the one faculty district in Washington state that went on strike this week. Seattle academics additionally walked.

In separate statements, the Ridgefield Training Affiliation (REA) and the RSD acknowledged that whereas progress was made of their talks, the events in the end couldn’t attain an settlement.

“The district and REA met in bargaining periods on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week,” the district stated of their assertion Thursday. “Regardless of making progress, we sadly didn’t come to an settlement on the phrases of a brand new contract and have been knowledgeable by the academics’ union that they are going to be occurring strike beginning tomorrow, Friday, September 9.”

Members of the REA voted on August 29, with 92% approval to authorize their govt board to name a strike if it was deemed needed to achieve an settlement, in response to the union. On September 5, the REA govt board voted to start hanging if no deal was reached by September 9.

“Whereas progress has been made towards an settlement, the RSD workforce has refused to make use of its out there funding to offer extra psychological well being helps, enhancements for particular schooling college students and a greater program for scholar interventions,” a media launch from REA stated. “District leaders can’t simply speak about making these a precedence; options have to be in writing in our contract.”

All faculties and workplaces within the RSD are at the moment closed, in response to the district’s web site, and meal providers may even be suspended till the strike is resolved.

The varsity district, which has a present enrollment of roughly 3,850 college students, sits about 15 miles north of Vancouver, Washington, close to the Oregon border.

Bargaining groups met on Friday and are anticipated to proceed negotiating by the weekend or till a tentative settlement has been reached.

The Seattle Training Affiliation, which represents about 6,000 staff — together with academics and different faculty professionals — within the state’s largest public faculty district, started a strike on Wednesday.

Seattle Public Faculties remained closed on Friday because of the strike.

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