Tumwater school paraprofessionals authorize strike Sept. 12 if contract not reached
.JPG "The Tumwater School District was notified Sept. 6 that its paraprofessionals had voted to authorize a strike if a contract agreement isn’t reached by Sept. 11. The strike would start the following Monday.")
The Tumwater School District paraprofessionals have voted to authorize a strike if a contract agreement isn’t reached by Sunday, Sept. 11. The strike would start Monday.
Members of the Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals have organized a rally alongside teachers and community members for 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 at the district office.
Tumwater schools spokesperson Laurie Wiedenmeyer said the news came as a surprise to the district. They met with union leaders last week and again this week to negotiate but have yet to come to an agreement.
“The district bargaining team remains committed to bargaining in good faith to work toward an agreement with our paraprofessionals,” she said.
Paraprofessionals, also known as para-educators, are often in classroom positions working one-on-one with students.
“Our paraprofessionals are vital members of our team and we are committed to reaching an agreement with TAP that is both sustainable and supports paraprofessionals’ priorities in this bargaining process,” Wiedenmeyer said.
TAP sent out a news release following the vote at a general membership meeting Tuesday, Sept. 6. The release includes statements from co-presidents Jen Monson and Megan Ready, who said the district doesn’t value paraprofessionals and won’t pay living wages.
“We love our students and give them our very best every day,” the release says. “We are looking for a commitment from the school district to our students, to our community, and to our paraprofessionals. Living wages are about respect and dignity.”
According to the 2021-2022 TAP contract and salary schedule, paraprofessionals make anywhere from $20.91 to $24.83 an hour, depending on years of experience.
The release says there are 90 paraprofessionals in the Tumwater School District, with 25 positions currently unfilled. The union’s current contract expired Aug. 31.
Wiedenmeyer sent an email to Tumwater parents on Wednesday, Sept. 7 to address the situation. She said the district has contacted leadership of the Tumwater Education Association, which represents the district’s teachers, to see if their members will be crossing picket lines on Monday, Sept. 12. If both groups’ members conduct a work stoppage, school will be canceled, she said.
She said the district will communicate with families as soon as they know if school will be canceled, and backup plans should be made for schoolchildren just in case. Athletics and other after-school activities will likely continue as scheduled, but parents will be notified as soon as possible if that changes.
She said the district is confident an agreement will be reached soon.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 1:07 PM.
.jpg)