Evergreen educators vote to authorize strike

Vancouver district’s teachers will strike if no agreement; classes scheduled to start Aug. 30

The following is from the Evergreen Education Association:

VANCOUVER, Wash. (Aug. 24, 2023) — Members of Evergreen Education Association voted overwhelmingly (93%) Wednesday evening to authorize a strike if Evergreen Public Schools management and the union bargaining team are unable to reach agreement on a new contract. Aug. 18 was the first day of teacher work time for this school year and classes are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Evergreen educators’ key issues are:

• More supports for students with special needs
• Time for educators to plan and consult, which is frequently lost because of the shortage of substitute teachers
• Promised cost-of-living adjustment to help attract and retain enough educators
• Adequate staffing to support a safe, academic learning environment for all students.

Evergreen Education Association members rally for a fair contract on June 13.

“Our top priority is our students,” said EEA President Kristie Peak, who is a Teacher Librarian at Mill Plain Elementary currently on full-time release as union president. “Time after time, district management refuses to invest in our schools even though they have the funding for it. No one wants to go on strike but we’ll do what we have to do to protect our students.”

Evergreen is the second southwest Washington district potentially facing a strike. On Tuesday evening, Camas Education Association members authorized a strike if the union’s bargaining team and Camas School District are unable to reach an agreement.

Evergreen Education Association is made up of 1,650 classroom teachers in the Evergreen Public Schools. Unions representing other staff have also been facing difficult negotiations with the district this year. Classes are set to begin on Aug. 30. Evergreen EA is affiliated with the statewide Washington Education Association and the National Education Association, both of which represent K-12 teachers, support staff and higher-education employees.