Seattle Teachers Hold 1-Day Walkout

Angered by state education plans, teachers in Seattle and three suburban districts staged a one-day walkout Tuesday, shutting classes for 70,000 students.

“We’re doing this because, every day, our students are being shortchanged,” said John Dunn, president of the Seattle Education Assn., which represents 4,800 teachers and staff.

The union said 5,000 teachers walked out to protest the amount of money set aside for education in state budget proposals.

In November, Washington voters approved two initiatives, one cutting class sizes and another mandating annual cost-of-living raises for school employees.

But because of proposed budget cuts, some funds earmarked for cutting class sizes may instead have to be used to maintain existing education programs, according to critics of the budget plans.

The spending plans provide cost-of-living raises only to school employees who are paid by the state, leaving the rest to local districts.

Lawmakers have maintained there is no money to fund teachers’ demands. Dunn said “rainy day” funds should be tapped.

It was coincidence that the walkout came on May Day, the traditional day of worldwide labor demonstrations, said Washington Education Assn. spokesman Rich Wood.