MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District teachers gathered outside of their respective campuses Monday morning, holding signs reading “On Strike!” School was closed for the district’s students Monday and will be Tuesday as well. 

Sunday night, it was announced that Moses Lake Education Association, the district’s teacher union, would begin a work stoppage Monday, after nearly six months of negotiations with the district on a contract.  

“We don’t want to be out here,” Larson Heights Elementary Teacher Lana Redal said. “In fact, the last place we want to be is the strike line. We would much rather be in our classrooms, working with our students, but the district keeps taking and taking in this contract and we can’t stand behind that.”  

All MLSD schools will remain closed until the strike ends, due to safety concerns without MLEA staff. As of 4 p.m. Monday, no contract has been reached between the two entities.  

“We understand this is a difficult time for our families, and our community as a whole,” MLSD Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. “While the current work stoppage temporarily paused classroom instruction, it has not eliminated instructional time.  Every day that is missed will be made up. The school calendar will be adjusted once school resumes.” 

This is the third school strike in Washington this year. Evergreen Public Schools classified staff went on strike for three weeks, and the La Center School District teachers struck for one week at the beginning of the school year.  

According to RCW 41.59.020, certificated employees of school districts, which include teachers, have the right to engage in collective bargaining. However, strikes by public employees are not protected in Washington state, according to RCW 41.56.041. 

“Nothing contained in this chapter shall permit or grant any public employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his or her official duties,” reads RCW 41.56.041 

According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, there are three statutes that prohibit public employees from striking; however, there were no Washington statutes imposing penalties on state employees for engaging in a strike. Disciplinary actions and/or legal action can be taken against public employees who engage in a strike.  

Food distribution 

The district will be providing breakfast and lunch for all students. Pickup is from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily at all elementary schools. Groff students can pick up from either Larson Heights or Lakeview. Middle and high school students can pick up at the nearest elementary school location.  

Athletics 

Athletics will continue despite the work stoppage, according to MLSD Athletic Director Loren Sandhop. 

“We are still planning to play this week’s games as athletics will move on even if we aren’t in school with the teacher work stoppage,” Sandhop said.  

What’s next?  

No agreement has been reached between the two entities as of 4 p.m. Monday. Therefore, schools will not be in session Tuesday.  

“At this time, there is no agreement in place between the District and the Association,” Shannon said. “However, the District is continuing to work through the mediation process in hopes of reaching a fair and financially sustainable collective agreement with the Association.” 

According to MLSD, at 7 p.m. Sunday, the district provided MLEA with a comprehensive proposal. The district made itself available to receive counterproposals and engage in mediated bargaining beginning at 10:30 a.m. Monday. As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, the district has not received any proposals or responses from the association. The district will continue to be available throughout the evening to receive and review proposals provided by MLEA.  

MLEA President Heather Whittall said bargaining and mediation will continue throughout the week. 

“We are taking it day by day. We think we have offered the district more than fair contract amendments and now we wait,” Whittall said. “Hopefully, we will have teachers back in classrooms soon.”  

MLEA Frustrations  

The most noted frustration by MLEA has been the reduction in the elementary school day, with previous protests having signs saying to “Reinstate the Elementary Schedule.” Prior to the 2023-24 school year budget shortfall and double levy failure, the schools started at 9 a.m. However, several cost-saving measures were instituted in the 2024-25 school year to pass a balanced budget, including a 30-minute reduction to the elementary school day. District officials said this was a two-year measure, with the cost to reinstate it being around $2 to $3 million, according to MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis. This would dip into the General Fund and drop the fund balance below the school board-required 12.5%  

Whittall said this issue is one of the concessions the union has made with the district. The union has agreed with the district to have the earlier elementary start time be reinstated at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.  

On Sunday, the district made three proposals to MLEA, which are still being negotiated. These include reinstating elementary planning time during the student day beginning in the 2026-27 school year, which would provide students with more specialist time each day, including physical education and music. MLEA members would receive 52 hours a year of professional development. MLEA members would get a salary increase of 2.57%, which is the state-determined inflationary percentage.  

Whittall said MLEA’s biggest fight right now is the professional development time.  

“The biggest issues we have right now are about the language proposed to our planning time; it's a little more oppressive, a little more micromanaged. So, we are trying to work that out. Then, the professional development and how that is all going to work out. That is still something that we are trying to figure out,” Whittall said.  

Shannon explained the district is limited in how it may comment on negotiations because of WAC 391-45-050, which says comments could fall under unfair labor practices in some situations. According to the Public Employment Relations Commission, publicly making statements through media comments could be seen as coercive, undermining good faith bargaining and potentially violating state and federal labor laws that protect employees’ rights.  

    Garden Heights Elementary School teachers protested outside the school Monday after a contract was not reached Sunday between Moses Lake School District and Moses Lake Education Association, the district’s teacher union.
  

    Frontier Middle School teachers lined both sides of West Third Avenue Monday. The teachers arrived at around 8 a.m. and stayed until around 3 p.m.
  

    Vanguard Academy teachers picket outside of the school Monday morning. Many drivers honked as they drove past the group.
  

    Larson Heights Elementary School teachers began picketing by the Dollar General on Patton Boulevard, then walked through the streets of the Larson Community.
  

    Moses Lake School District Superintendent Carol Lewis leads a community forum at Endeavor Middle School regarding the $20 million budget shortfall the district was facing last November. As the district's levy election was underway, Lewis and the school board committed to reaching certain financial goals. Those goals are expected to be reached, but conflict with teacher union demands.