Lynden teachers set an Oct. 28 strike date
Update, Oct. 23: Lynden teachers voted unanimously to approve the tentative contract reached Oct. 21, the Lynden Tribune reported. The School Board is set to vote on it Nov. 12. The contract terms will be made public after the board approves it, the superintendent told the Tribune.
What happened: Lynden School District educators authorized a strike that would start Wed. Oct. 28 if there is no contract. Vote Oct. 13, no contract since Sept. 1. Cascadia Daily News reports more than 100 teachers took part and that it is the first authorization in nearly 50 years. No vote tally from either source.
Why it matters: District offer: 3% in year one (2.6% state inflation adjustment plus 0.4% district funds), then state inflation plus 0.5% and plus 1.0%. Union rejected it. District says it has run a deficit spending model for two budget cycles, reserves near the 5% minimum (no dollar figures in either source). Insurance up about 84% (Cascadia: liability insurance; Tribune: premiums). Cascadia reports a $1 million enrollment revenue loss and a $1.1 million special education shortfall. Voters rejected three bond measures since 2024 and a $25.5 million levy (Lynden Tribune).
Update, Oct. 22: Cascadia Daily News reports the union and district reached a tentative agreement Oct. 21, likely averting the Oct. 28 strike. Ratification is pending and terms were not released.
Update, Oct. 24: The Lynden School District and the Lynden Education Association reached a tentative agreement late on Oct. 21 after about 12 hours of talks, the Lynden Tribune reports. Union members were to vote on ratifying it, on Oct. 22 according to Cascadia Daily News and on the afternoon of Oct. 23 according to the Tribune. Neither story reports the result. If the union ratifies, the school board is expected to vote Nov. 12. Terms have not been released; the superintendent said they will be made public at the Nov. 12 meeting. Neither outlet says the Oct. 28 strike is called off.