Teachers strike in southwest Washington continue, with some districts canceling school for the rest of the week. VANCOUVER, Wash. — Instead of holding class, teachers in several districts held signs demanding fair wages. Multiple school districts in southwest Washington did not start school Wednesday as planned. “This is really a unique situation,” explained Washington Education Association Spokesperson Rich Wood. “We've never had this many teachers on strike in multiple school districts in the same county, as far as I know, in the last 20 years and probably never in the history of teacher strikes in Washington State.” As the first day keeps getting pushed backed, frustrations are high among everyone involved. “We just want it to be settled as quickly as possible, so we can get back to our classrooms, get back our students, so my kids can go back to their classrooms,” Bethany Rivard with the Vancouver Education Association explained. Teachers said they would rather be in their classrooms. “The teachers are not wanting to be doing this at the beginning of school,” explained Deedra Oswald, a teacher in the Evergreen School District. “We would much rather be in there, in the building with our students doing our job.” The district is disappointed school did not start on time. “I think we're disappointed there's a strike going on,” Pat Nuzzo with Vancouver Public Schools said. “We're just doing the best we can. This is the first time that we've ever done this, so it's a new territory.” Parents are left struggling to find childcare. Many said they are taking turns watching kids for one another. “There is a little bit of concern mostly about where is everybody going to put their kids during the day while they’re working,” Nicole Sayer, parent of students in the Vancouver School District said. “You know, but a lot of us in the community, I guess we’re lucky enough to be a pretty tight community. So, we’re all kind of just, I’ll watch your kids if you watch mine. So, it should be ok at least for a little while.” “Yeah, we’re pulling friends and resources for. I work part-time, I have a small business here in town, but it’s totally worth it,” Jeni Gall, mother of two children in the Vancouver School District echoed. So, we’re just making it work and all of our neighborhood has banded together, and we have different parents on different days. So, we’ll make it work. It’s worth it.”<doc-sep>Teachers on strike Tuesday could be joined by educators from more school districts later this week. (CNN) — This is supposed to be the first week of class for many Washington state schools. But exactly when students in some districts will go to class remains a mystery. Teacher strikes in two districts have already forced the cancellation of classes on the first day of school Tuesday. Two other districts will not be open on Wednesday. Evergreen Public Schools are closed because no deal has been reached between the school district and the Evergreen Education Association over salaries. Negotiations are ongoing, and the school district said it will give parents at least 24 hours’ notice before classes will begin. The Washougal School District also missed its first day of school Tuesday due to a strike by the Washougal Association of Educators. School district representatives met with union members and mediators Monday to try to reach an agreement on teacher salary increases. “The district and the association have worked hard to reach an understanding but, unfortunately, we were not able to come to an agreement,” district Superintendent Mary Templeton said. Two other state school districts, which are scheduled to start classes Wednesday, could have those plans derailed by strikes over salaries and benefits. Vancouver Public Schools, Longview Public Schools, Battle Ground Public Schools and the Hockinson School District all announced that negotiations are continuing with teachers and mediators. Longview said the first day of school Wednesday is postponed. Vancouver Public Schools said the Vancouver Education Association informed the system that it will conduct a work stoppage on Wednesday, so there will be no classes. The Hockinson School District said it’s hoping to start classes on time but is asking parents to have backup plans for their children, just in case.<doc-sep>The start of the school year has been delayed for more than 75,000 students in southwestern Washington state after teachers and districts failed to reach contract agreements, at odds mostly over salaries. Teachers in seven school districts were on strike Wednesday, according to the Washington Education Assn., which represents state teachers. More walkouts were possible in the state as the teachers union and the districts try to negotiate salary agreements. Educators in Seattle — the state’s largest school district — voted Tuesday to authorize a strike unless a deal is reached by the time classes are set to begin on Sept. 5. Unions representing educators in other cities have also authorized walkouts. Advertisement Several dozen districts have already reached agreements on teacher pay, many with double-digit percentage increases, said Rich Wood, a Washington Education Assn. spokesman. Teachers in most of the state’s 295 school districts opened contract negotiations in recent months after the Legislature in March approved an additional $1 billion for educator salaries in the upcoming school year. The Legislature in 2017 also included about $1 billion over a two-year period for salaries, starting this year. The state had been under a Washington Supreme Court order to fully fund basic K-12 education. In late 2017, the court ordered the state to speed up its school-funding plan to meet a Sept. 1, 2018, deadline, and lawmakers responded with the additional money. Local unions representing teachers say districts now have the money to give teachers competitive salaries. But some school administrators say they also have to balance raises with the need to provide other services. In Vancouver, where teachers in two districts are on strike, dozens of teachers and supporters wore red and lined a street near a high school waving signs, the Columbian newspaper reported Wednesday. The Vancouver Education Assn., representing the city’s teachers, said the union proposal would use money sent from the state specifically for salaries and does not negatively affect students. Vancouver school Supt. Steve Webb said on the district’s website Tuesday that the district is committed to giving teachers and other employees “fair and competitive wages,” but added that “we must do so in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner.” Teachers in Longview, Battle Ground and Ridgefield are among those on strike.<doc-sep>
FILE PHOTO: Teachers walk the picket line on what was supposed to be the first day of school in Seattle, September 2015. REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnight (Reuters) - Nearly 80,000 students in Washington state were unable to attend the first day of school this week as thousands of teachers went on strike seeking higher salaries, teacher’s unions said. Educators in seven school districts in southwestern Washington were on strike as early as mid-August and the number of walkouts was expected to rise, according to the Washington Education Association, which represents teachers in the state. Teachers seeking enhanced education funding also have walked out in recent months in West Virginia, Arizona and Oklahoma. More Washington educators would walk out next week. Teachers in Seattle - the state’s most-populated city - on Tuesday gave their union authority to call for a strike unless a contract deal is reached before classes resume there on Sept. 5, according to the Seattle Education Association. Seattle Public Schools officials said the district backs educators and believes it has provided them with fair and competitive salaries, but it said on Wednesday that it must also manage its budget to provide services for students. “We must balance our desire to support our educators while at the same time sustaining critical services and programs students need and families expect,” Seattle school officials said in a statement. “Even with offering every state dollar, starting in 2019-20 the district is projecting a budget shortfall that will grow over time.” Contract renegotiation began in most of Washington’s 295 school districts, which serve more than 1 million students, after state lawmakers this year approved an additional $1 billion hike for educators’ salaries for the upcoming school year, according to the Seattle Times. The Vancouver Education Association union said its proposal for salary increases only includes the money specifically allocated by the state for salaries and that it would not negatively impact students. “School districts across the state have already settled fair contracts,” the Vancouver union said on its website. “We are currently in the midst of a statewide educator shortage crisis. We cannot afford to have our highly qualified teachers leave for other, more competitive districts.”