UPDATE: August 26 at 4:35 p.m.
Representatives from the Mead School District and the Mead Education Association are set to resume negotiations on Wednesday, August 27.
Both parties aim to reach an agreement that would allow schools to welcome students back on September 2, according to Todd Zeidler, Public Information Officer for the Mead School District.
Negotiations have been ongoing, with significant progress made on several key items, said Zeidler.
On Monday, district representatives and the teachers union met for five hours. However, a scheduled school board meeting prevented them from reaching a final agreement.
The groups plan to meet again on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to continue discussions. An additional day of bargaining is scheduled for Friday, if necessary.
MEAD, Wash. – As the start of the school year approaches, Mead School District faces uncertainty due to unresolved contract negotiations.
The current agreement is set to expire on August 31, just two days before the school year begins on September 2. The question on everyone’s mind is what will happen if no agreement is reached.
On August 11, teachers gathered for a rally in front of the Mead School District headquarters.
Kindergarten teacher Cherish Schrader addressed the possibility of a strike saying, “we don’t know about that right now.”
Negotiations have continued, but on Wednesday, the Mead School District released a statement.
“As the new school year begins, the Mead Educator’s Association has chosen to intensify a public campaign, claiming that the Mead School District is failing to meet the needs of educators and students. These assertions misrepresent the significant efforts and investments made by the district and undermine dialogue at the bargaining table,” a portion of the statement reads.
NonStop Local reached out to Mead School Board President Michael Cannon for further comments. He provided a statement saying, “The MEA thinks a public pressure campaign and disparaging the district are good bargaining tactics. They’re not.” Cannon emphasized the board’s position to “negotiate in good faith, work toward a fair deal, but don’t make promises that will weaken the district and cost taxpayers down the road.” He concluded the statement, “That’s not stubbornness – it’s responsibility.”
Toby Doolittle, president of the Mead Educator’s Association Union, shared his response to the press release.
“To say that the district has provided any sort of tangible plan to meet the needs of our kids in any sort of proposal is wishful thinking,” Doolittle said.
Regarding the possibility of a strike, Doolittle explained: “Well the response to that is on Thursday at 4 p.m. we will have a general membership meeting and we will either be ratifying a collective bargaining agreement with our members or talking to our members about next steps.”
ORIGINAL COVERAGE: August 21 at 6:15 p.m.
