Tentative contract reached for Tumwater teachers

A deal could be close for nearly 400 teachers in the Tumwater School District who have been working without a contract since the the school year began.

District and union bargaining teams met for almost 14 hours Monday with an outside mediator. By the end of the meeting, about 9:30 p.m., they had reached a tentative agreement, according to district spokeswoman Kim Howard.

A meeting is planned for Thursday for union members to learn more about the tentative contract, and a ratification vote could be taken at that time, according to the union’s Facebook page.

In March, the district and the union filed jointly for mediation services through the state Public Employment Relations Commission because of a stalemate in contract negotiations.

Supplemental compensation for the district’s teachers and planning time for those who work at elementary schools were among the sticking points.

Although teacher salaries are based on a state schedule, teachers can negotiate with districts for supplemental compensation.

The district and union officials also met with a mediator April 21 and May 4.

On May 6, the district reached a separate agreement with the 54-member Tumwater Office Professionals Association, which represents building secretaries, office assistants and administrative assistants.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Tentative contract reached for Tumwater teachers."