Puyallup Cancels School Thursday, Teachers Continue Strike

PUYALLUP, WA - We're now entering day two of the Puyallup teachers strike. The district canceled school Thursday as negotiations over teacher pay raises continue between the union and district representatives.

Like districts across the state, Puyallup teachers are negotiating a pay raise. The state Legislature put over $1 billion in the state budget last year for teacher pay raises - a result of the ruling in the McCleary case. Most districts have been able to avoid strikes by giving raises, some as high as 17 percent.

Puyallup teachers were joined in their strike Wednesday by local firefighters. The union that represents Pierce County firefighters called the pay negotiations a "correction" in light of the McCleary decision.

Teachers in districts near Puyallup have been given double-digit raises. Teachers in Lakewood's Clover Park district got a 15 percent increase. Teachers in the Tahoma School District in Maple Valley got 15.9 percent.

The first day of school in Tukwila and Tumwater were also canceled Wednesday due to teacher strikes.

It's unclear how long the Puyallup strike will last. The district has said it will decide whether to open on a day-to-day basis.

Photo courtesy Janene Seal Kasinski