After 50 days, the Marysville, Washington, teachers union voted 420-181 on October 20 to return to work. This change-of-heart occurred after a judge threatened to impose fines of $250 a day on teachers if the strike continued and schools would not be able to open. The district, which has either the second or the ninth highest salaries in the state (depending on whether you believe the district or the union), had had no school since September 2 as teachers protested against a contract which allowed the state to set wages and tried to add days to the school year.