Tagged: Tacoma teacher strike

Tacoma teachers have approved a contract that ends their strike with nearly 100 percent of teachers voting for the new deal.

Negotiators had reached a tentative deal last night in Olympia in the governor’s wing where they were called by Gov. Chris Gregoire to settle their differences. The strike was the first for the Tacoma district since 1978 and kept 28,000 students out of school for eight days.

Striking teachers and school district officials in Tacoma could not come to an agreement by the deadline set by the governor, so they've filed into cars and headed to Olympia to continue bargaining this afternoon.

Gov. Chris Gregoire told both sides earlier today that she wanted them back at the bargaining table at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and if they don't have an agreement by 3 p.m. she would see them in her office.

TACOMA, Wash. — With Tacoma schools closed by a teachers' strike, district food service workers gave perishable produce to a food bank.

Teachers will remain off the job for the sixth day (with schools closed as well) on Tuesday in Tacoma, where a strike has idled about 28,000 public school students. Negotiations have been continuing late into the night since the strike began.

However, despite the comments of a judge involved in the strike, the Tacoma school district says there is no plan afoot to hire replacement workers for the teachers who remain on strike.

TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County Superior Court judge says he's considering giving the Tacoma school district the option to hire replacement teachers for those on the picket line.

TACOMA, Wash. — Schools are closed Monday for another day in Tacoma as negotiations continue between the school district and striking teachers.

Tacoma schools will be closed again Friday after teachers voted on Thursday to stay out on strike. Friday will be their fourth day on the picket lines, despite a court order to return to their classrooms.

The teachers say that without a resolution to the basic contractual issues in the conflict, returning to class now would only prolong the turmoil, possibly for years.

Teachers in Washington state's third-largest school district have voted overwhelmingly to remain on strike, in defiance of a judge's order that they return to work.

Some 93 percent of the nearly 1,600 Tacoma School District teachers meeting in the Tacoma Dome arena today said they wanted to continue picketing. The teachers walked out Tuesday.

(Go here for the latest developments of this story.)

Tacoma's striking teachers have decided to go back to the picket lines this morning rather than directly to their classes to decide on their next action, a union official clarified last night. (Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated the teachers were rejecting the judge's orders. It's still unclear whether they will return to class or not.)

Tacoma Education Association (TEA) "certificated members should meet at their regular picket line locations as scheduled Thursday morning, as you heard from your picket captains," TEA president Andy Coons said in an email to union members.

Leaders of the Tacoma teachers’ union say they will leave it up to the striking teachers to decide what to do with a judge’s order to return to the classroom tomorrow morning.

Andy Coons, president of the union, told teachers at a rally this afternoon that he would be contacting them possibly later today with options for them to decide on.