Teachers in Kent rallied again before the Wednesday school board meeting in support of their bargaining unit, currently in contract negotiations with the school district.
More than 50 union members held signs and chanted slogans before piling into the board room and speaking in support of the union’s bargaining team.
The teachers’ contract expires Aug. 31 and the union and district are currently in negotiations on a new contract.
“It’s about our issues of time, workload and compensation,” said Kent Education Association president Lisa Brackin-Johnson during the rally.
The union has repeatedly asked for an increase in planning time, a decrease in teacher workload and a salary increase to bring Kent teachers in line with surrounding districts.
According to the union, Kent is among the lowest-paying districts in the region, leading to a loss of teachers to other districts and an inability to recruit up-and-coming teachers.
According to Brackin-Johnson, negotiations are “slow” as the union awaits an “economic package” promised by the district. She claimed the only thing on the table from the district is a “7.5 percent pay cut,” which refers to a district proposal to eliminate seven professional development days due to state budget cuts that no longer pay for the days.
“The time would be gone, but the work would still remain,” Brackin-Johnson said.
District spokesperson Becky Hanks said the district is committed to working though the contract issues with the KEA, but reiterated that the loss of state money makes it difficult to meet some of the union’s requests.
“Since that funding wasn’t provided by the state, it’s going to be a challenge for the district to continue funding those days,” Hanks said of the professional-development days, also known in Kent as “effective education” days.
Hanks also said that salary increases would require a “major re-prioritization” and that paying teachers more would mean cutting more positions in the district.
“In order for us to increase teacher pay, the money has to be found somewhere,” Hanks said.
Both sides said they would continue to meet and negotiate in hopes of signing a contract and avoiding a strike at the beginning of next school year.
“Our goal has always been to get a settlement,” Brackin-Johnson said.
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