Cheney educators plan to strike on first day of school if no bargaining agreement reached

CHENEY, Wash. -- Educators in Cheney voted to authorize a potential strike after failing to reach an agreement with Cheney Public Schools (CPS) on Tuesday.

On August 20, 96% of Cheney Education Association (CEA) members present at the Tuesday meeting called for a strike to begin August 27, Cheney School District's first day of school.

In recent days, CEA and CPS exchanged various proposals in an attempt to settle on a new bargaining agreement.

CEA rallied on August 14 in support of better pay to attract and retain teachers and more resources to benefit students in the classroom.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cheney teachers rally for better pay, smaller class sizes and more resources

"Our students need experience and consistency in the classroom and that requires competitive wages that will attract and keep teachers in Cheney," said CEA President Meridth Lemelin.

According to a press release from CPS Superintendent, Ben Ferney, sent on August 19, CEA's last two proposals included a 19.5% salary increase over two years.

In contrast, CPS's most recent proposal included an 18% salary increase over the next three years, according to a CPS press release sent on August 20.

"We believe this offer reflects our commitment to fairly compensating our teachers while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our district," said Superintendent Ferney.

In a statement, CEA said their members are eager to get back to the classroom on the first day of school and hope a tentative agreement can be reached before next Tuesday.

CPS called CEA's decision to approve a strike "deeply disappointing" and said if a strike happens, they will keep the community informed about how it will impact the district's operations.

CEA said to avoid a strike, an agreement must be reached by 6 p.m. on August 26.

COPYRIGHT 2024 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.