Statement from Evergreen Public Schools on PSE Large Group Bargaining

Vancouver, Wash., August 26, 2025 – Today the PSE Large Group bargaining team was unwilling to make themselves available for a bargaining session with the Evergreen Public Schools bargaining team at the Administrative Service Center. Union leaders did not give the district a reason for missing this session.

The EPS bargaining team is working and remains available and ready to bargain in good faith to reach a settlement that is fair and sustainable under the district’s current budget constraints. The PSE Large Group’s contract expires on Saturday, but its members are allowed to continue to work under their current collective bargaining agreement for one year after it expires while continuing to negotiate.

Today union members went on strike against the district. The EPS Board of Directors delayed the start of the school year from today to Tuesday, September 2, to provide stability and predictability for our students and families and to give the bargaining teams more time to reach a settlement, but the union still opted to start a strike, which is illegal under Washington state law.

Information on the PSE Large Group bargaining is available here.

About Evergreen Public Schools:With about 22,000 students in 38 schools in the city of Vancouver, Evergreen Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Washington. The district was founded in 1945, when nine schools from eight different districts came together.