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Camas teachers ready to strike on first day of school if demands aren't met: 'We want to get this done'

Camas teachers and the school district continue to negotiate for higher wages, but if a deal is not reached, teachers are prepared to strike on Monday.

CAMAS, Wash. — The Camas School District, in Southwest Washington, is scheduled to start the new school year on Monday. But negotiations are continuing between the teachers union and school district. If they can’t reach an agreement, teachers said they’re prepared to go on strike, delaying the first day of school.

"We want to get this done and we want to get this done soon," Michael Sanchez, the vice president of the Camas Education Association said.

UPDATE: Camas teachers will strike Monday; Evergreen and Battle Ground could follow suit Wednesday

Sanchez said the biggest hold-up is wages. He said teachers are seeking an 8.9% raise. Camas Superintendent John Anzalone agrees that teachers deserve more money.

"I want to make sure that our teachers are compensated well, they feel valued,” Anzalone said. “Because I always say, happy teachers, happy kids."

But student learning will suffer if kids are not in school, Anzalone said.

"Kids need to be in school,” he said. “We're coming off a pandemic still, we can't have kids not learning. And every single day counts, every single minute counts."

The school district previously said if there is a strike, missed school days will be made up. But some parents are concerned their kids' education would suffer if school started late.

"Little frustrated with the fact that they might not be going to school right away,” Brian Griffith, the parent of Camas students, said. “Especially with the one year we had where they weren't in school."

Griffith said he does think teachers should receive wages they want, but said his kids are still recovering from a year of remote learning during the pandemic. 

"The kids are already behind,” he said.

Wages are not the only issue union members are fighting for, Sanchez said. Educators also want to see equitable funding for music and P.E. classes, as well as libraries across the district.

Currently, principals can dictate how much money to give those programs, which fluctuates from school to school, Sanchez said.

"So, for example one building, elementary music might get $0,” Sanchez said. “Another one might get a pretty substantial amount."

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