2022 Bargaining Values

SEA's values for bargaining

SEA members continue to unite and take action to build strength to achieve a great contract. As our bargaining subcommittees craft proposals to share with SPS, we want to make our values and priorities transparent to members and the community. These values reflect deep listening over the last 9 months through:

  • The member blueprinting process,
  • Member, community, and faith leader listening sessions,
  • Member and community bargaining surveys,
  • Focused input from Special Education and Multi-Lingual Learner member subcommittees.

SEA's values for bargaining

  • Meeting student needs takes adequate and student-centered staffing. This is particularly true for our students receiving Special Education and Multilingual Education services and for students with mental and behavioral health needs. SPS must increase staffing for Special Education, Multilingual Education, mental and behavioral health, nurses, and librarians.
  • Caseloads and workloads must be reasonable and allow educators space to support our students. 93% of us are working more than our assigned or contract hours, and 25% of us are working 10+ additional hours a week. We must incentivize SPS to reduce workloads and hire additional staff to reduce caseloads. When our jobs require work outside of contract hours, such as mandatory committee meetings, SPS must acknowledge it by removing other tasks or recognizing it with additional pay.
  • Great support, services, and teaching require great jobs. The cost of living in Seattle is skyrocketing, shortages of educators are getting worse, and our pay is not keeping pace. To recruit and retain great educators, SPS must pay all staff respectful wages and must address the unacceptably low wages for Education Support Professionals. 
  • Eliminating pervasive toxicity and racism improves our schools. More than half of SEA members have or have considered switching buildings, districts, or careers because of racism, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, or lack of respect. SPS and SEA must together develop a process to improve accountability for administrators and incentivize healthy and positive working environments. SEA members need increased power to address hostility in our buildings and programs.