Contract negotiations continue as Tacoma strike reaches 6th day
TACOMA, Wash. -- Tacoma teachers were on the picket lines again Tuesday as their strike stretched into the sixth day.
And district officials announced Tuesday evening the strike would go into a seventh day as classes were canceled for Wednesday.
Teachers remained on strike despite a court order to return to work. Notices to all teachers in contempt of court went out Monday afternoon, telling them they will have to go before a judge and be held accountable for every day they've refused to work.
District spokesman Dan Voelpel says principals are keeping close track of the handful who have been showing up to work with one entrance open at each school, each day.
Meanwhile, the union and district were heading back to the bargaining table Tuesday afternoon after a marathon 14-hour negotiating session that lasted into the early morning hours.
"Well, I'm frustrated," said Foss High School teacher Tim Ford. "This is the second week of this, we'd all like to be back in the classroom."
The longer the strike goes on, the greater the potential consequences, for teachers and for students.
"My wife is a teacher as well, but we can't live on one income," Ford said.
He worries he may lose his home if this goes on much longer.
"We got a paycheck today,but if the strike is not settled soon, I wouldn't be getting one in 2 weeks," he said. "Too many of those and I'll be in foreclosure."
But concerns are heavy on the minds of parents, too. Billie Stockton's worried about her daughter.
"This is her senior year, it puts her in a big time bind," Stockton said. "She doesn't know if she's going to be able to finish on time and do college applications."
The district reports that they have lost some students who are transferring outside the district, but they don't have an exact count yet.
Perishable food finds new home
As the strike drags on, there is some concern that some of the 18,000 students who depend on the free breakfast and lunch programs could go hungry.
But the district is directing the 14,000 pounds of perishable food that is going unused during the strike to be put to better use by donating it to The Emergency Food Network.
"It's wonderful when something positive can come from something that's being portrayed as such a negative," said executive director Helen McGovern.
The food was then distributed to many of Tacoma's food banks, where it was a Godsend for students' parents.
"We are used to (our kids) having breakfast and lunch every day at school," said Alina Wallace. "So we plan our meals and our budget on that and not having that, it is stressful."
The food banks around Tacoma are seeing the effects of the teachers strike with many more people coming through their lines. And the district's donation was just a one-time event, and with an uncertain end to the strike, families and the food banks don't know how they'll make up the loss.
KOMO News' Keith Eldridge contributed to this report.
And district officials announced Tuesday evening the strike would go into a seventh day as classes were canceled for Wednesday.
Teachers remained on strike despite a court order to return to work. Notices to all teachers in contempt of court went out Monday afternoon, telling them they will have to go before a judge and be held accountable for every day they've refused to work.
District spokesman Dan Voelpel says principals are keeping close track of the handful who have been showing up to work with one entrance open at each school, each day.
Meanwhile, the union and district were heading back to the bargaining table Tuesday afternoon after a marathon 14-hour negotiating session that lasted into the early morning hours.
"Well, I'm frustrated," said Foss High School teacher Tim Ford. "This is the second week of this, we'd all like to be back in the classroom."
The longer the strike goes on, the greater the potential consequences, for teachers and for students.
"My wife is a teacher as well, but we can't live on one income," Ford said.
He worries he may lose his home if this goes on much longer.
"We got a paycheck today,but if the strike is not settled soon, I wouldn't be getting one in 2 weeks," he said. "Too many of those and I'll be in foreclosure."
But concerns are heavy on the minds of parents, too. Billie Stockton's worried about her daughter.
"This is her senior year, it puts her in a big time bind," Stockton said. "She doesn't know if she's going to be able to finish on time and do college applications."
The district reports that they have lost some students who are transferring outside the district, but they don't have an exact count yet.
Perishable food finds new home
As the strike drags on, there is some concern that some of the 18,000 students who depend on the free breakfast and lunch programs could go hungry.
But the district is directing the 14,000 pounds of perishable food that is going unused during the strike to be put to better use by donating it to The Emergency Food Network.
"It's wonderful when something positive can come from something that's being portrayed as such a negative," said executive director Helen McGovern.
The food was then distributed to many of Tacoma's food banks, where it was a Godsend for students' parents.
"We are used to (our kids) having breakfast and lunch every day at school," said Alina Wallace. "So we plan our meals and our budget on that and not having that, it is stressful."
The food banks around Tacoma are seeing the effects of the teachers strike with many more people coming through their lines. And the district's donation was just a one-time event, and with an uncertain end to the strike, families and the food banks don't know how they'll make up the loss.
KOMO News' Keith Eldridge contributed to this report.
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