Talk and tension rise over collective bargaining reform

OLYMPIA — Teachers in the Everett School District incited quite a stir with their talk of striking on the first day of school this fall if the education funding solution being negotiated by lawmakers doesn’t solve the problem.

They are gravely concerned that what is getting hammered out behind closed doors will seek to amply fund the public school system, as demanded by the state Supreme Court, and bring new rules on their ability to collectively bargain on wages and working conditions.

Since teachers from Everett and the state’s other 294 school districts are not in those talks, they’ve carried out an intensifying campaign of public actions the past two months to try to influence the conversations from the outside.

While Everett teachers are not the only ones warning about strikes, they are among the best paid in the state, which shines a brighter light on the concerns.

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