Strike averted: Tumwater paraeducators approve last-minute contract

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(The Center Square) - Students in the Tumwater School District started the new school on time Wednesday after members of the Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals voted to approve an agreement reached Tuesday with the district.

“Thank you so much to our community and our union family for your support! We have a new collective bargaining agreement, and we're excited to be going back to school,” read a Facebook post from the union.

The Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals represents more than 100 paraeducators in the Tumwater School District.

Tuesday afternoon, the union announced the tentative agreement.

“A tentative agreement means that the bargaining team believes that this deal is worth bringing to the members. It is NOT final until members vote to approve it,” the Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals posted on social media Tuesday afternoon. 

Members gathered at 5 p.m. at the Washington Education Association Chinook office in Tumwater to vote and ultimately approve the deal.

The Tumwater School District anticipated the union would vote to approve the tentative agreement, sending a message to families Tuesday afternoon notifying them that school would start on time on Wednesday. 

"We know there has been uncertainty surrounding the start of the school year, and we sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our students, families and staff throughout this process," wrote Tumwater Superintendent Kevin Bogatin. 

“Reaching an agreement that recognizes our paraprofessionals while maintaining our responsibility to the district’s overall financial health was important to all of us. Most importantly, we are excited to put bargaining behind us and get back to what we do best: supporting students and providing them with an excellent education.” 

The main sticking point was the paraeducators union demand for higher wages, though details of the deal reached have not been released. 

The difference between what the union asked for and what the district was offering was about $100 more a month for each paraeducator, according to the union. 

Paraeducators are school support professionals who provide instructional and behavioral support to students, in many cases working one-on-one with special needs students.