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As teacher strikes loom, parents scramble for childcare

caption: Brian Black, an educator at Franklin High School, holds a sign before the Seattle Education Association union meeting on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. The union voted to strike if no contract was reached by Sept. 5.
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Brian Black, an educator at Franklin High School, holds a sign before the Seattle Education Association union meeting on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. The union voted to strike if no contract was reached by Sept. 5.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

Students eager to extend their summer vacations may be hoping for a teacher strike, but their parents not so much.

As the school year begins for many, some teachers unions across Washington state are still negotiating contracts. 

One of them is Tacoma, where it’s still unclear if school will open this week.

That leaves parents scrambling. 

Raney Dhillon is with Schools Out Childcare, which is on-site at three Tacoma elementary schools.

She says she’s heard from about 25 parents, so her teachers are modifying their schedules.

“The staff usually works morning and afternoon shifts and in between they’re off,” Dhillon said. "But everybody’s going to be working full time. We will be scheduling staff all day.”

Dhillon says they plan to serve snacks, but they're asking kids to bring a lunch if they can, because they’re not licensed to serve food midday.

“We’re not licensed to serve lunch. We do serve a morning snack and an afternoon snack. If a child does not have a lunch we’ll make them a sandwich or something for them,”Dhillon said.

The center will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Teachers unions around the state are asking for pay increases, among other things.

Find updates on contract negotiations at the Washington Education Association website.

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