Classes began Sept. 12 at Evergreen Public Schools in Washington state after a strike by support staff delayed the start of school for nearly three weeks. The Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948, which represents 1,400 paraprofessionals, bus drivers and other staff, reached a deal with the district Sept. 11. The  includes a 13.5% pay hike for paraprofessionals over the three-year contract, but union members won’t receive compensation for the month of September.

A week after school was supposed to start, classrooms in Washington state’s Evergreen Public Schools are still closed due to a staff strike.

The district of 22,000 students in Vancouver was supposed to have its first day of school Aug. 26. But the opening was delayed when Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948 announced a strike over contract negotiations that have gone on for six months. The district again Sept. 3 as the strike continued. 

The union represents roughly 1,400 paraprofessionals, bus drivers, security guards, maintenance workers and other staff. Members of the teachers union are and .

鈥淭he board and I had hoped that delaying school for a week would have allowed the district and the [union] bargaining teams time to reach an agreement without further disruption to families,鈥� Superintendent Christine Moloney wrote in an Aug. 31 . 鈥淭he [union] could opt to work under the previous agreement, which the terms of the contract allow for a full year. However, union leaders have opted to continue their strike.鈥�

鈥淲e are not stretching this out 鈥� you are,鈥� union President Mindy Troffer-Cooper said at an Aug. 26 school board . 鈥淭his job is not sustainable for many, so they work multiple jobs. We need help to be able to continue.鈥� 

The Evergreen chapter isn鈥檛 the only union whose negotiations went down to the wire before classes began this year. In June, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers voted if both parties didn鈥檛 agree on a contract before the first day of school Aug. 25. An agreement was reached hours before students returned to the classroom. 

The Mead Education Association, which represents more than 600 teachers in Mead, Washington, voted to if an agreement wasn鈥檛 reached by midnight Aug. 31 鈥� two days before the first day of school. The union and district that day.

鈥淲e know the uncertainty of the last couple of days has been stressful for many, and we鈥檙e thankful to have avoided a delayed start to the school year,鈥� Superintendent Travis Hanson wrote in an Aug. 31 parent .

On Tuesday, 1,800 teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors and other school staff in Romeoville, Illinois, submitted their 10-day strike notice. Union President Jared Ploger said in a that school day schedules and compensation are the top issues being negotiated. The earliest date for a strike is Sept. 15.

The Evergreen union has low wages, lack of retention policies and unpaid work hours as core issues during contract negotiations that began in March.

While the salary increases of between 2.5% to 4.5% for this school year, Troffer-Cooper said at the school board meeting that they won’t add up to a living wage. 

If the district鈥檚 current contract proposal were accepted, a paraprofessional with five years of experience would earn a salary of $32,707, according to its . A bus driver with five years’ experience would receive $39,661.

More than a third of educational support employees hold more than one job, according to a 2024 National Education Association . About 90% rate low pay as a moderate or serious concern.

Members of the Evergreen Education Association, which represents 1,700 teachers in the district, while classes were delayed last week. The union conducted a week-long strike in 2023, according to the .

鈥淓vergreen Education Association supports PSE Classified in their negotiations for a fair contract,鈥� the teachers union said in a Facebook .

George Dockins, executive director of the Public School Employees of Washington, also expressed support for the union on . He said in a Facebook video that members are 鈥渟houlder to shoulder demanding respect and fair pay鈥� and are 鈥渞aising the bar for every education support professional in Washington.鈥�

鈥淓vergreen, we see you, we stand with you, and together, as one union family, we will win,鈥� he said.

The district originally offered a two-year contract with raises of 3% each year, but the agreement is for four years, with across-the-board raises of 2%, 3%, 0% and 3.5%. There are additional bonuses and salary schedule restructuring that, according to the union, brings the total raises to 14.5% over the four-year life of the contract.

This is quite a bit less than other areas of the country are seeing. United Teachers Los Angeles, for example, is demanding 20% over two years, and L.A. teachers already make more than those in Hawaii.

This has led to some grumbling from the rank-and-file on the Hawaii union鈥檚 Facebook page. 鈥淭eacher鈥檚 Unions across the nation were able to get their members 10%+ raises and yearly raises after, and HSTA comes to us with a 3.625% raise?! It鈥檚 laughable at best,鈥� .

Teachers unions and school districts often have different interpretations of how much money is available for salary increases and other spending. In this case, the union appears to accept the state’s forecast of reduced future revenues.

鈥淲e had asked for significantly larger raises but understand that the state has less money to pay for numerous key priorities in addition to addressing teacher compensation, such as creating affordable housing, bringing down the state鈥檚 high cost of living and preserving our natural resources,鈥� .

Even more unusual was the union’s willingness to not only before the ratification vote, but also provide its for each provision the new deal contains.

This is commendable. Sharing full information before any ratification votes might not affect the content of collective bargaining agreements, but the public deserves to know as soon as possible what is being agreed to in its name.

The overall tone of the union’s communications with members about the contract is defensive, and we can expect some significant pushback from teachers about the size of the raises. Whether this sporadic muttering coalesces into a rejection of the contract when the ratification vote is held April 26 remains to be seen.

Members tend to give their unions the benefit of the doubt when it comes to tentative agreements and accept raises already in hand over the uncertainty of returning to the bargaining table. But Hawaii teachers have gone on strike twice in the past and come close on other occasions. When they do walk out, they don鈥檛 kid around: The 1973 strike lasted for 18 days, and the 2001 strike ended after 21 days.

Upsurges in teachers union militancy grab headlines and lead to speculation about it spreading elsewhere. Perhaps Hawaii can stand as an example of cordial negotiations leading to a reasonable and transparent settlement that everyone, including the public, can live with. We鈥檒l know for sure after next week鈥檚 vote.

Mike Antonucci鈥檚 Union Report appears most Wednesdays; see the full archive.