Update: 4:50 p.m., May 22, 2018:
Teachers in National City have authorized a strike.
The National City Elementary Teachers Association announced on its Facebook page Tuesday that teachers approved a strike by 88 percent, with 86 percent of union members voting.
The vote does not guarantee a strike. The union's executive board must still call one, and may not if negotiations improve.
"We have demonstrated our resolve to fight for the schools National City deserves. The district can demonstrate their priorities by settling the contract on Wednesday," NCETA President Christina Sotelo Benson said in Facebook post.
Original story:
National City could become the next battleground in a nationwide wave of teacher strikes. On Monday, teachers there voted on whether to strike and will release the results at a rally Wednesday.
RELATED: Now It’s North Carolina Teachers’ Turn: How Did We Get Here? What’s Next?
The union expected a record number of teachers to vote in favor of a strike after five months of protracted negotiations over salaries and supplies. In February, the National City Elementary Teachers Association told KPBS the biggest contention was over millions of dollars in unspent funds for curriculum and other materials. Nearly 60 percent of teachers the union surveyed said they didn’t have what they needed to teach to Common Core standards.
RELATED: Unionized Or Not, Teachers Struggle To Make Ends Meet, NPR/Ipsos Poll Finds
The district told KPBS it had bought some curriculum and was holding off on other purchases, pending meetings with teachers to get their input.
If a strike is authorized, it could come quickly. Classes end for the year on June 4.
RELATED: San Diego Unified Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement With Union
Teachers in at least five states have gone on strike since March.
