Dear Commons Community,

The Seattle Times and the Associated Press are reporting that Seattle teachers have approved a new labor contract between the union and its school district, officially ending a week-long strike that had delayed the start of school for 53,000 students.

The walkout began Sept. 9 and was suspended pending the outcome of last Sunday’s vote by the 5,000-member union.  The Seattle Times reported that of the estimated 3,000 members who attended a special meeting of the membership, 83 percent of teachers, 87 percent of paraprofessionals and 96 percent of office professionals voted to approve the contract, according to the Seattle Education Association.

“We got many new things in our contract that will benefit students,” Shelly Hurley, a special education teacher and a member of the union bargaining team, said in a statement.

The contract gives teachers a 9.5 percent pay raise over three years, not including state cost-of-living adjustments, guaranteed 30-minute recesses for elementary students and more teacher input over standardized tests.

Teachers have been working without a contract since the end of August. They had initially asked for a 21 percent raise spread over three years, but they came down dramatically from that request.”

This appears to be a good settlement for both sides.

Tony