Issaquah schools’ support staff has tentative deal, suspends strike

UPDATE (Jan. 20, 2019) — The memberships of PSE SEIU Local 1948 and SEIU 925 voted on the tentative settlement reached with the district. Both unions voted yes to ratify the agreement: PSE by 91% and SEIU 925 by 87%.

ISSAQUAH (Jan. 28, 2019) — The joint strike committee for Public School Employees of Washington/SEIU 1948 and SEIU 925 met late Jan. 24 and reached a tentative agreement with the school district on a new contract for the Issaquah school system’s support staff.  Therefore, the strike deadline for Jan. 29 has been suspended.

The tentative agreement now needs to be taken to the full membership of SEIU 925 and Issaquah PSE to vote on whether or not to ratify the agreement. The settlement includes a salary increase of a 3.1% cost-of-living adjustment over two years: 1.9% retroactive to September for the 2018-19 school year, and another 1.2% for the 2019-2020 school year as well as an additional inflationary increase.

“I’m so proud of our members and all of the hard work they have put into getting this tentative agreement. After four months of campaigning by union members, including packing school board meetings, the Strike Committees were pleased to see this offer. We’re excited to present our win to the full membership on Tuesday,” said Emily Freet, assistant to the principal at Maple Hills Elementary and president of the PSE Issaquah Office Professionals Chapter. “This is a victory for our union, our members, our district, our schools, and the students we show up for every single day.”

“All we wanted was for the District to acknowledge our important work in keeping Issaquah schools safe places for kids to learn,” said paraeducator Kim Loucks, a member of SEIU 925 who was elected to the Strike Committee. “A basic 3.1% cost-of-living increase helps us keep up with our region’s growing expenses so we can be at our best on the job.”

The Ratification Vote Meeting is set for Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Results of the vote will be released immediately following the meeting.

Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948 (PSE) is a labor union dedicated exclusively to representing Education Support Professionals in Washington State’s public education system. Our 30,000+ members play a vital role in the operation of early learning, K-12 and universities throughout the state.

SEIU 925 unites 17,000 people in Washington who work in early learning through higher education, as well as local government and nonprofits.

PREVIOUSLY at The Stand — Issaquah school support staff sets Jan. 29 strike deadline