By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) – Seattle teachers, who went on strike earlier this month over pay, staffing and mental health support, approved a new three-year contract that includes an increase in pay and support staff in classrooms, a labor union said on Tuesday.
The Seattle Teachers Association (SEA), the labor union representing more than 6,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and office workers in Washington state, voted on Monday night and announced the result on Tuesday.
The teachers had hit the picket lines earlier in September on what would have been the first day of school this fall for tens of thousands of students after they voted to strike.
The work stoppage had canceled the first day of school for 47,000 students in the district, the largest public school system in the state. The strike ended last week.
“We united, took action, and achieved a contract that does more for us and our students. Last night, the membership voted to ratify the SAEOP, Paraprofessional, and Certificated tentative agreements,” the union said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The tweet did not give any more details but the Seattle Times reported that the contract will cost the district about $228 million over three years and add nearly $92 million to the already projected budget shortfalls.
Under the proposed contract, Seattle Public Schools agreed to pay raises of 7% for both certificated and classified staff, the newspaper said.
There were three contracts in all, and each group voted on its own agreement.
The newspaper added that 71% voted in favor for the contract covering classroom teachers and staff with certificates. The contract covering paraprofessionals passed with 66% in favor and educational office professionals voted 82% in favor of their contract, according to the newspaper.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)