Yelm educators plan strike amid negotiations with Yelm Community Schools

The Yelm Education Association (YEA), the teachers’ union, is set to hold a strike against the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) on Tuesday, September 3, unless the parties reach an agreement before then.

According to Washington Education Association (WEA) representative Linda Woo’s response to The JOLT, the majority (or 97.5%) of YEA members voted Tuesday to approve the strike if “no ratified tentative agreement has been reached.” 

YEA is undergoing collective bargaining with YCS, which allows unions to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions. The YEA and district officials are working with a state-appointed mediator.

Earlier this year, the district adopted a Reduced Educational Plan (REP) due to having a “double levy failure” after voters decided not to approve payment of the levy tax twice in a row. The proposed replacement levy in the April special election failed by a margin of only 225 votes.

To balance its reduced budget, Yelm Community Schools might eliminate around 200 educators. YCS has already laid off teachers and staff and recalled some. At its May 23 meeting, 105 staff were terminated. At the June 27 meeting, another 121 were terminated, while some were recalled. During the latest meeting on Thursday, August 22, 27 sports coaches were terminated.

YCS allegedly did not notify the educators’ union about the layoffs or consider program cuts before issuing notices to the laid-off teachers. This move increased the teaching hours per remaining teacher and ballooned the class sizes.

“When a school district faces a shortage of money, the school district must decrease how much it spends. Most of a school district’s yearly budget is spent on staff. When staff positions no longer exist because of a funding shortage, this is called a reduction in force, and it has nothing to do with staff performance,” the district’s REP page stated.

Teachers’ woes

Members of the Yelm Education Association holding a rally Monday, August 26.

In an email responding to The JOLT, YEA Co-President Kathryn (Kat) Cullum said the district is keen on eliminating “enrichment” programs such as basic education and counselors.

“Certificated teachers are being asked to bear the load of the district's double levy failure. Basic education is not funded by levies and is not enrichment. Counselors are not enrichment, manageable class sizes are not enrichment, basic cost of living adjustments are not enrichment, and yet the district is insisting that these are things that need to go,” Cullum criticized the district.

“We feel the district's priorities are misplaced. We want to keep cuts away from the classroom; they want to keep administrative positions that are the furthest away from the classroom,” added Cullum.

The YEA and YCS Bargaining Team had 15 scheduled meetings since June 21, with one cancellation from the district. The last two meetings took place yesterday, Wednesday, and another one today.

“Superintendent Woods communicated to families via email today that ‘we want to assure you that the district remains focused on reaching an agreement as quickly as possible.’ We hope this means they will honor our request to schedule earlier start times to get a settlement prior to September 3rd. Our team stands ready to meet them at the table,” Cullum emphasized.

The union seeks to incorporate the following conditions into the tentative agreement:

• Advocates for YCS students
• Maintains parameters on class sizes and caseloads
• Ensures that students have access to physical education, music, library, and art.
• Staff have adequate planning time
• Keeps staff and students safe in YCS
• Provides enough counselors to meet students' social and emotional health and wellbeing
• Uses capital funds to provide emergency call buttons in the remaining classrooms
• Uses the full allotment of state funding for compensation so the district can attract and retain qualified educators

Cullum said that YCS chose not to pass through to staff the 6% regionalization they received from the Washington State Legislature last school year, which was intended for salary and employee benefits.

“Currently, they are proposing to pass only a portion of those through to our members and other staff.
We are frustrated that we cannot meet to agree,” Cullum said.

District’s statement

The JOLT requested Superintendent Chris Woods’ statement regarding the possible strike.  YCS Communications Director Teri Melone responded via email.

“The district has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Yelm Educators Association (YEA), our teachers union, to address a range of important issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have not yet reached an agreement; and the union has authorized a possible strike.

"We fully recognize how deeply this affects our students and families. We are committed to working diligently to find a resolution that respects the needs and concerns of our teachers while also ensuring that our students receive the quality education they deserve.

"The district remains focused on reaching an agreement as quickly as possible. We value our teachers and understand their vital role in the success of our students, and we are striving to find common ground that benefits everyone involved.”