CHENEY, Wash. — Educators in Cheney voted to authorize a potential strike after failing to reach an agreement with Cheney Public Schools (CPS) on Tuesday.
On August 20, 96% of Cheney Education Association (CEA) members present at the Tuesday meeting called for a strike to begin August 27, Cheney School District’s first day of school.
In recent days, CEA and CPS exchanged various proposals in an attempt to settle on a new bargaining agreement.
CEA rallied on August 14 in support of better pay to attract and retain teachers and more resources to benefit students in the classroom.
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“Our students need experience and consistency in the classroom and that requires competitive wages that will attract and keep teachers in Cheney,” said CEA President Meridth Lemelin.
According to a press release from CPS Superintendent, Ben Ferney, sent on August 19, CEA’s last two proposals included a 19.5% salary increase over two years.
In contrast, CPS’s most recent proposal included an 18% salary increase over the next three years, according to a CPS press release sent on August 20.
“We believe this offer reflects our commitment to fairly compensating our teachers while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our district,” said Superintendent Ferney.
In a statement, CEA said their members are eager to get back to the classroom on the first day of school and hope a tentative agreement can be reached before next Tuesday.
CPS called CEA’s decision to approve a strike “deeply disappointing” and said if a strike happens, they will keep the community informed about how it will impact the district’s operations.
CEA said to avoid a strike, an agreement must be reached by 6 p.m. on August 26.
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