Judge orders fines against striking Kent teachers, union | Schools

Striking teachers in the Kent School District and their union were ordered to pay fines for each day they remain on an illegal strike, a judge ruled Thursday.

Teachers were ordered to pay a fine of $200 per day, and the union was fined $1,500 a day.

The fines will be imposed retroactively starting Monday if the strike is not settled before then, said King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas.

Darvas said the strike is clearly illegal, and she has no choice but to order the teachers back into the classroom.

"They’re wrong in their actions, in short they are breaking the law," she said. "The law is absolutely clear. I was not exercising discretion."

The judge said also said the strike, now in its second week, is harming children, families and non-teaching staff members within the school district.

The judge had earlier ordered teachers to return to work on Wednesday. Instead, teachers walked the picket line in defiance of the court order.

A week ago, King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas granted the district's request for an injunction to force the teachers back to school. On Monday, the union voted not to return to school and to continue the strike until members have a ratified contract.

The two sides left the bargaining table early Tuesday morning and did not return on Wednesday.

The strike has also left about 1,100 employees in the district who are not members of the teachers union in limbo.

Those employees could lose their benefits by next Friday if classes don't resume, and many don't work enough hours to qualify for unemployment.