Shoreline, Bethel teachers reach tentative contract agreements

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By KOMO Staff & News Services
SHORELINE, Wash. -- A tentative agreement has been reached on a contract for teachers in the Shoreline School District north of Seattle.

Officials said the deal to avert a strike was reached early Tuesday morning.

Teachers in the district of about 9,600 students are set to vote on the proposed contract at 4:30 p.m.

The school district has been climbing its way out of a financial black hole since 2005, when it discovered a nearly $3 million deficit.

And striking teachers and the Bethel School District also reached a tentative contract agreement Monday that could end a short strike. Union officials say teachers could be in their classrooms as soon as Wednesday.

Bethel Education Association President Tom Cruver did not release any details of the settlement, which came after 25 hours of weekend negotiations, but he called it fair.

"It would be fair to say that both sides worked to find a middle ground," he said.

Teachers will vote Tuesday evening. If they ratify the contract, school will resume on Wednesday, Cruver said.

"It's been a difficult situation for the Bethel family, we all want kids in school, we know that's where they belong and we have a great learning community in Bethel and so fortunately today, we're likely to be able to do that this week," said Mark Wenzel, a school district spokesman.

School was supposed to start last Thursday, so the district's roughly 1,050 teachers and 18,000 students, from Spanaway, Graham, Roy, Kapowsin and Frederickson, will have missed three days of school if they meet in their classrooms on Wednesday.

The teachers hit the picket line rather than start school without a contract. Key issues included pay, workload and health care benefits.