Striking teachers in Issaquah spurn deal
Beyond that, no one could say what will happen next in the strike, which began Sept. 4.
"I don't have many answers," district spokeswoman Mary Waggoner said. "We're certainly disappointed (the proposal) was not presented with the same enthusiasm that it was accepted with (yesterday) morning."
A court hearing on a back-to-work order, postponed yesterday, has been reset for 9:30 a.m. Monday. Teachers said they may meet Monday to discuss options, including whether they might go to work for a time without a contract.
Many in the school district had hoped the contract vote would be a mere formality after negotiators worked through the night, appearing bleary-eyed at 7:30 yesterday morning to announce a preliminary agreement.
Both sides said they hoped school would start today.
But after seeing the three-year contract — which offered a 1 percent increase above the state-financed cost-of-living allowance (COLA) in the first two years and a 1.2 percent increase above the allowance in the third year — many teachers were angry and disappointed, some said after their closed-door meeting at Issaquah High School.
Teachers voted 478-294 against the deal.
"I came to rubber-stamp this, but once we saw it, we were asking, 'We stayed out 12 days for this?' It reminds me of that country song: 'I shaved my legs for this?' " said Michael Fleming, who teaches at Liberty High School.
The Issaquah Education Association had asked for a 3 percent raise above the COLA in the first year, and 1 percent above the allowance in the final two years of the deal. Before yesterday, the district's last offer had been 0.8 percent above the cost-of-living allowance in the first year, and 1 percent for the remaining years.
Union members refused to go along with their negotiating team's compromise, however.
"We hear you loud and clear. The message is: You want competitive pay to attract and retain good teachers in Issaquah," union President Kathy Linderman said after announcing the vote tally. Most of the teachers stood and cheered.
Linderman, who refused to say how she voted, said bargaining-team members agreed to the tentative terms because they thought it was the best deal they could get.
Waggoner, the district spokeswoman, said union leaders shook hands with district negotiators on the deal, but "from what teachers have told us, it was not presented as a positive offer to them."
Teachers roundly criticized the offer.
"It's a lousy contract. I can't accept this contract, not for me, but for the young teachers," said James Williams, who teaches at Echo Glen Middle School.
A number of teachers seemed particularly incensed, given that Bellevue's new contract for teachers, ratified Wednesday, contains raises from 6.4 to 6.7 percent in the first year, and 1 percent above the cost-of-living allowance in the final year of the two-year pact.
"We're all talking about what other districts we're going to apply to," said Debbie Kotz, who teaches at Briarwood Elementary School.
Although the Issaquah vote was lopsided, some teachers feared losing parents' support if the strike continues much longer.
"To lose support among parents will affect the quality of our teaching," said Diana Rackers, a Sunset Elementary teacher.
She said she works closely with parents of her students but is balancing her love of the district and its children with the area's rising cost. "I would stay here with this contract, but for the kids only."
One parent confirmed Rackers' fears. "Parents are furious. The consensus I have of three or four parents who are generally supportive of teachers is that this is cruel to kids. I think support is waning," Angie McBride said.
But parent Bonnie Kam said, "It seems to me the district has not negotiated in good faith."
While teachers met, students continued waiting, in some cases keeping themselves busy with extracurricular activities that have started despite the strike.
Curtis Recor, who will be a freshman at Issaquah High School, said he wants to start school so that he won't lose vacation days later in the year. While the teachers were voting, he was blocking and tackling at football practice. "I've been really bored, mostly hanging out with friends," sophomore Aryn Chatterton said.
Meanwhile, in the Snohomish School District, negotiators resumed talks yesterday until about 9:30 last night and will meet again at 6 p.m. today. About 470 teachers there have been on strike for two weeks, delaying the start of school for about 8,000 students.
In Renton, where teachers have worked without a contract for two weeks, a tentative agreement was reached late Wednesday.
J. Patrick Coolican: 206-464-3315 or jcoolican@seattletimes.com.