Educators in Sheridan School District No. 2 have taken their contract fight up a notch. On Wednesday, union members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, escalating a months-long standoff over a lapsed master contract and what union leaders describe as an effort by the district to undercut their bargaining unit.
The strike authorization gives the Sheridan Educators Association the power to call targeted work stoppages, though union leaders have not set or announced any date for a walkout.
According to a news release reported by The Denver Post, 98% of SEA members who cast ballots voted to authorize strike action. Union leaders are treating the vote as a clear message from the classroom to the bargaining table. Kevin Vick said, "Everyone deserves a good neighborhood school, with educators who have what they need to help kids learn and thrive."
Union's Claims And Who Voted
The Sheridan Educators Association - which the union says represents teachers, mental-health providers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers and other school employees - argues that district leaders halted payroll deductions for union dues and have refused to reinstate a master agreement that had been in place for decades.
The union has been posting organizing updates and its account of stalled talks on the Sheridan Educators Association website as pickets and protests have ramped up around the district.
District Response And Pickets
District officials insist that is not the full story. They say they have continued to bring forward proposals and have been holding public work sessions as part of that process. Superintendent Gionni Thompson told Denver7 that he has been communicating with staff by email and that discussions with educators remain open.
Educators, meanwhile, have been picketing outside school board events, pressing for formal recognition of their bargaining unit and a return of the master contract.
Long-Running Dispute And What Is At Stake
The master agreement expired on July 31, and tensions have been simmering ever since. The union has accused district leaders of "union busting" and warned that staff turnover and rising class sizes are already affecting students.
In December, the union filed an official notice of a labor dispute with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to document what it describes as unfair labor practices, according to reporting by The Colorado Sun. District officials say they have kept certain pay terms in place and continue to pursue negotiated solutions.
What Happens Next
The authorization vote does not, on its own, trigger a strike. Instead, union leaders say it gives their bargaining team the option to call work stoppages if negotiations break down, in line with the union's news release.
The district's school board is scheduled to meet next on March 10, a session that could provide an opening for both sides to restart or intensify bargaining, according to the district calendar.
For more on the union's announcement, see reporting in The Denver Post, and for district schedules, visit Sheridan School District 2.
