Yelm educators ratify new contract with district, allowing school to start Wednesday
Yelm educators overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract with Yelm Community Schools on Tuesday.
Members of the Yelm Education Association gathered at Yelm High School Tuesday afternoon to vote on the contract, which passed with 84.5% approval, the union announced in a news release. Tasha Johnson and Kat Cullum, co-presidents of YEA, expressed gratitude in the news release.
“We are thankful for the community’s support in helping us reach a fair contract for our members and creating the best environment for our students,” Johnson and Cullum wrote. “We hope the community continues to support Yelm Community Schools and staff in years to come.”
The vote occurred a day after the union and the district reached a tentative agreement that averted a strike planned for Tuesday. Union members authorized the strike last week after months of bargaining that started on June 21. The new contract is for 2024-2027.
With the contract ratified, classes began Wednesday for grades 1-12. Kindergarten will begin on Sept. 9.
“We want to again thank the district and YEA bargaining teams for their collaborative efforts which positively impact our students and staff,” district spokesperson Teresa Melone said in an emailed statement.
The union listed the highlights of the contract in its news release. They include reduced workload for staff, pass through of state-funded salary increases and cost-of-living adjustments, reduced workload for counselors, protected daily planning time and increased time for elementary.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Yelm educators ratify new contract with district, allowing school to start Wednesday."
