Mediation dates set for Tumwater teachers, school district

Two mediation dates have been set for the Tumwater School District and the Tumwater Education Association (TEA).

The bargaining teams will meet with a mediator on April 21 and May 4 through the state Public Employment Relations Commission, according to a post on the school district’s website.

District spokeswoman Kim Howard said the parties jointly filed for the services.

Bargaining teams have been at an impasse for weeks, and Tumwater’s nearly 400 teachers have been working under an expired contract since the beginning of the school year. In recent weeks, union members have held several informational pickets in front of the district’s headquarters.

The district also is bargaining with the Tumwater Office Professionals Association (TOPA), which represents more than 50 building secretaries, office assistants and administration assistants. On Monday, the district met with TOPA and made “a comprehensive proposal” that included wages, benefits and reclassification, Howard said. The groups’ next meeting is set for April 11.

“We know that the extended TEA negotiation is a difficult situation for our community,” Howard said. “We remain confident that we will be able to reach agreement with both TEA and TOPA soon.”

Mike Sellars, executive director of the Public Employment Relations Commission, said his state agency provides its mediation services free of charge to public sector employees across the state.

“Last year, we had, I think, over 10 mediation cases with school districts and their unions representing certificated employees,” he said. “…Sometimes the mediation may be as short as one day, or it may take months.”

Supplemental compensation for the district’s teachers and planning time for those who work in elementary schools have been the two major sticking points in Tumwater’s contract, according to union president Tim Voie.

Out of 28 districts of similar size throughout the state, Tumwater ranks the lowest in compensation, he said.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Mediation dates set for Tumwater teachers, school district."