On August 30th, 92% of the members of the Arlington Education Association (AEA) voted to authorize a strike if the district didn’t negotiate a new contract with them by the time that school would start on September 6.
The teachers of the AEA, according to Mr. Klein, the association’s president, desired smaller class sizes for K-3, an easing of “Special Ed teacher workloads,” and “competitive pay” for teachers. Their primary purpose in authorizing a strike was to get a contract settled sooner rather than later.
Arlington School District’s salary for teachers is among the top four in the state.
On September 5, the day before the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, a one-year contract was negotiated between the AEA and the district. This allowed for the start of classes while also opening up the possibility for further negotiations to take place next year.
Mr. Grabowski, the teacher for On Hold, Jazz II, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Music Theory, the marching band, and pep band, said he would “like to thank our union leadership” for their work on renegotiation.
However, as members of the AEA were still compromising with the district, teachers were still prepared to start classes on the scheduled day.
Many students might be excited at the prospect of missing days at the beginning of the school year. The end of summer was not a pleasing idea for some.
Grace Williams (‘20) was one of those people hoping that the break would be extended by a day. “I really wanted this summer to be a tad longer so I could procrastinate on all of the things I had to do,” she said. “I also really wanted to spend that extra time with my family and mentally prepare and physically prepare to actually get ready for the year ahead.”
However, if the teachers would have gone through with the strike and not been there on the first day, then those days would have been added to the end of the school year, stretching into next summer.
Obviously, this would lead to the extension of summer vacation in 2017 and a shortened vacation in 2018. After all, a certain number of days of school are mandated by WAC-180-16-215, as can be seen below:
“Each school district shall conduct a school year of no less than 180 school days in such grades as are conducted by the school district, and 180 half-days of instruction, or the equivalent, in kindergarten.”
Arlington Education Association teachers have never gone through with a strike that would delay the first day.
In the first place, the legality of teacher strikes in Washington is still debated. On January 31st, 2006, Attorney General Rob McKenna ruled against teacher strikes being protected by law, as follows:
“State and local public employees, including teachers, have no legally protected right to strike… As a general rule, public employees, even in the absence of express statutory prohibition, are denied the right to strike or to engage in a work stoppage against a public employer.”
It’s unlikely, though, that teachers would face legal consequences over striking for a day. However, it’s within possibility that a longer strike could result from contract negotiations next year, and with it, a potential legal battle.

Sources:
http://www.aeawa.org/home
http://www.k12.wa.us/ProfPractices/adminresources/FAQ.aspx
https://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/looks-like-teacher-strike-is-avoided-in-arlington/
http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/arlington-teachers-vote-to-authorize-strike/600882202
http://www.atg.wa.gov/ago-opinions/right-teachers-and-other-employees-strike
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/when-courts-weigh-in-history-shows-districts-win/