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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Strike by Kent teachers could end as union reaches tentative deal

By Christine Clarridge Seattle Times

After eight days of missed classes in the Kent School District, the Kent Education Association said it reached a tentative agreement in its strike with the district early Wednesday.

“There will be no picketing this morning but afternoon community events can still take place,” the teachers union posted on its Facebook page.

The district said breakfasts and lunches for children would be available to pick up beginning Wednesday until school begins and shared additional information on its website.

The school year for the district, which has about 25,000 students, was originally slated to begin Aug. 25.

Members of the teachers union and district officials met Monday and returned to the bargaining table Tuesday.

The American Federation of Teachers Union of Washington, representing Kent’s custodians, maintenance workers and other employees, also voted over the weekend to strike against the district if the terms of their contract cannot be met, according to the Kent Reporter.

In Seattle Public Schools, teachers were on strike Wednesday, with classes canceled in the state’s largest school district on what would have been the first school day of the year.

The Seattle Education Association announced Tuesday that 95% of its members who voted on the measure approved a strike authorization over Labor Day weekend, after its board recommended members do so last week.

The district posted on its website that there would be no school Wednesday, and that “school will be delayed until further notice because of a planned work stoppage by the Seattle educators’ union.”