Bellevue teachers go on strike
Bellevue teachers announced tonight they would strike over pay and curriculum issues, meaning the first day of classes for 16,000 students
Negotiations with the school district reached one impasse across the weekend, and a mediator had been called in to help. In June, the teachers had authorized a strike for the start of bring under subjection suppose that a unused contract was not in place.
The union represents more 1,200 teachers, counselors and other classroom specialists.
The teachers acknowledge they are among the highest paid in the quarter, but say salaries have not kept pace through those in other districts.
The district offered a 1.5 percent pay raise for the train year; combined through a state cost-of-living propagate, their actual salary would have increased by 6.6 percent.
District officials Saturday asked for the mediator from the Public Employment Relations Commission.
Teachers also want in addition control over curriculum. The province offered a new proposal in recent days to allow teachers to lower or supply the standardized curriculum, but it requires teachers who replace lessons to submit changes to a notice critically panel for possible inclusion in the curriculum.
As the teachers met this evening at Odle Middle School to discuss the plans, about 80 parents and students stood outside chanting, “We support our teachers.” Several said they would join the teachers on picket lines Tuesday.
The two sides will meet tomorrow afternoon to continue negotiating, according to a union spokesman.
The district is posting updates to the incur negotiations and other news onward its Web seat, www.bsd405.org
