Mercer Island Teacher Strike Likely Averted: District

MERCER ISLAND, WA - Mercer Island teachers and the school district announced a tentative agreement over pay raises Monday afternoon. The agreement was reached Monday morning, according to the district, and the union could vote on it Tuesday.

Teachers across the state are negotiating pay raises. That's because the state Legislature last year put over $1 billion in the biennial state budget for teacher raises. The Legislature was required to make more money available after the McCleary decision case.

Details of the deal between the district and Mercer Island teachers were not immediately revealed Monday. Here's the full statement from the district:

Negotiators for the Mercer Island Education Association (MIEA) and the Mercer Island School District (MISD) reached tentative agreement early today (Monday, Sept. 3) on a new two-year collective bargaining agreement for teachers and most classified school employees. Both sides had been meeting since Sunday morning.

The terms of the agreement are not being shared until the School Board and MIEA membership are able to review it. MIEA members are meeting Tuesday for a contract ratification vote. The Mercer Island School Board will review the contract at their regular meeting on Sept. 13. The 2018-19 school year begins Wednesday.

“I'm grateful to both teams for finding common ground that meets the mutual interests of students, families, professional educators and our community,” said Mercer Island School District Superintendent Donna Colosky. “We are excited to welcome our students back to school on Wednesday.

Some districts in Washington have gone on strike, including several in Clark County. Seattle teachers were set to strike this week, but they reached a tentative agreement with the school district over the weekend.

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