An ‘Illegal’ Strike Continues: WA Teachers March Wednesday, Defying Judge Yet Another Day

An ‘Illegal’ Strike Continues: WA Teachers March Wednesday, Defying Judge Yet Another Day

Updated on September 23: The ongoing strike enters another day.

Although the recently concluded Seattle teachers strike gained more attention (and caused more inconvenience for parents), a teacher strike in Kelso, Washington, which is located 100 miles south, has attracted much more attention and controversy.

On Sunday, the strike in Kelso took a criminal turn as the public school teachers voted 221 to 20 to continue their work stoppage, despite a judge’s explicit order to return to work. Judge David Koss of Cowlitz County district court issued an order instructing teachers to report to work by Tuesday since the strike is considered illegal under Washington law.

However, Sunday’s vote ensures that there will be no classes in any of the Kelso schools on Tuesday, as over 300 teachers will continue to refuse to show up for work.

The Kelso school district website bluntly states, "SCHOOL IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE."

This will mark the seventh consecutive day that Kelso students miss all their classes.

Sandy DeBruler, a spokesperson for the teachers union, who is also a local reading coach, stated, "It’s basically what we teach our students every day – stand up for justice and what’s right, and fight for it. We did that, and you could feel it in the air tonight." The Kelso Education Association spokesperson added on Sunday, "What I hope is that it sends a message to the district: ‘Let’s sit down at the table so that we can resume negotiations.’"

Patty Wood, the school board president, affirmed that her side never walked away from negotiations. "We will continue to negotiate," Wood said. "We are determined to reach a contract."

The major point of contention between the two sides is salary. Kelso teachers are pushing for higher pay for their training and class preparation time. The union wants teachers to be paid for an additional 28 days of work. On the other hand, district officials have offered 23 days of additional pay.

The union’s demand would cost the school district $575,000 over the next two years, which amounts to one percent of the district’s annual budget, according to the Daily News.

According to Indeed.com, an average teacher in Kelso earns an annual salary of $56,000, excluding the benefits package. However, the median household income in Kelso is $35,381 based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

DeBruler, the teachers union spokesperson, receives a total annual compensation of $62,721.

Judge Koss, who ordered the Kelso teachers to return to work, warned that failure to comply with the order could result in penalties. However, he did not specify the nature of these penalties.

The judge has scheduled a hearing for early Wednesday morning to assess the progress of his court order.

Casey Gleysteen, the spokesperson for the Kelso school district, stated that hiring substitute teachers has not yet been considered as an option, according to Portland Fox affiliate KPTV.

Photo credit: Kyle Iboshi/Twitter