Mead School District teachers authorize strike as contract talks continue

SPOKANE, Wash. — Parents in the Mead School District are having a hard time planning for back to school next week because of the possibility the Mead teachers union could go on strike.

With the first day of school just four days away, a strike is now officially on the table.

Contract negotiations between the Mead Education Association and the school district continued Friday. This has been going on for months, totaling 16 separate bargaining sessions.

The president of the Mead Education Association shared in a statement that “current practices are inconsistent and rely too heavily on our teachers, who already have a massive workload.”

The teachers union gave the school district until Sunday to agree to a new contract.

At a meeting Wednesday, 97% of Mead Education Association members voted to authorize a strike if they could not come to a contract agreement with the district by Sunday. Some parents are frustrated that this is all happening so close to the school year.

“School lasting longer or going further into June and then having to change plans, that kind of hinders what we’re trying to do. It’s hard to plan around not knowing,” said Neil Price, who has two children in the Mead School District.

Price’s children have been students in the district for the past five years. He said he would hate to see them miss out on quality learning time.

“The school district is a really good school district. I think that the teachers do a really good job at what they do. They keep kids engaged, and it’s really good to see that,” Price said.

The Mead School District said in a statement Wednesday night they’re optimistic school will begin as planned, explaining that representatives will continue bargaining through the weekend if necessary.

“There’s been significant progress on a number of key items. We’re committed to the process and remain optimistic that we’ll be able to reach an agreement allowing our schools to welcome kids back on September 2,” the district stated.

The teachers union says they’re continuing to negotiate for more support in the classroom, explaining in a press release Wednesday night that some classrooms have “too many students and too many needs for one educator to address.”