Striking Tacoma teachers pedaled around the city on a “bike strike” Monday, while a Pierce County judge threatened to authorize hiring replacement workers in an effort to end a standoff that has closed schools for a sixth day as of this morning.
“I urge everyone to go back to work,” said Pierce County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff.
Meanwhile, bargaining teams for both sides met with a state mediator at noon Monday; sessions continued past 10 p.m. Teachers and the school district have been in disagreement over three main issues: Contract language governing transfers and reassignments, class size and pay.
“We will get together and vote when there’s a tentative agreement,” said Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association, parent organization of the striking Tacoma Education Association.
Wood said early Monday evening that he expected teachers to be back on the picket lines today.
Tacoma Public Schools announced Monday afternoon that school would be closed again today due to insufficient staffing.
As the strike and school closures continued, several community organizations pitched in to offer support to both kids and teachers.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound put out a request for volunteers to help staff maintain all-day programs during the strike. Around 300 kids a day have been going to the four club locations.
The First United Methodist Church in downtown Tacoma will sponsor a meeting at 7 tonight for people who want to learn how to support teachers. The meeting is a project of the congregation’s Micah Project, which focuses on peace and justice issues, said Michael Collier, a certified lay minister and church member.
In court Monday, Chushcoff suggested that replacement workers might help end the strike, but school district officials didn’t sound enthusiastic about the idea. They said they didn’t request that authority from the judge.
In a written statement, Superintendent Art Jarvis said he wanted teachers back in their classrooms.
“We have one goal at this moment and that is to reach agreement with the TEA at the bargaining table and see our teachers back in the classroom doing the good work they do with our students,” Jarvis said. “I would hope that the judge’s comment doesn’t work against that goal.”
Chushcoff, however, suggested an authorization might persuade the vast majority of teachers to return to the classrooms they abandoned Sept. 12 while negotiators try to reach a contract agreement.
Should he choose to grant such authorization, Chushcoff said it would be up to the district to decide whether to hire temporary or permanent replacements, or come up with another plan altogether.
“Those are all possibilities,” the judge said.
Tacoma Public Schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said that even if the district called in all 600 substitute teachers on its list, it would not be nearly enough to reopen schools.
The judge’s comments came during a hearing to iron out language on another order that requires teachers who haven’t complied with the judge’s back-to-work order to come to court to explain themselves.
The first batch of those people – including TEA board members – is scheduled to appear in court one week from today.
The district will mail to the other nearly 2,000 striking TEA members a notice of the judge’s intent to hold contempt hearings against them should they not return to work before Sept. 27, either with a new contract or in compliance with his orders.
The judge signed a temporary restraining order last week that requires the teachers to return to work while negotiations continue, or else face penalties including possible retroactive fines. Most teachers have refused to do so.
The district’s attorney, Shannon McMinimee, told Chushcoff on Monday that the teachers were in “flagrant defiance” of his order. She said outside court it’s clear the judge is frustrated with teachers for disobeying his order.
“He’s thinking creatively to provide the district with additional remedies and for himself to have additional remedies to address the noncompliance with his order,” she said. “It sounds like the court is not pleased with the continued violation of his order.”
The union’s attorney, Tyler Firkins, said outside court that the TEA would challenge any attempt to replace its members.
Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635
debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com
Copy of Judge Chushcoff's order
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