More than 3,000 teachers and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District went on strike Thursday, saying the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract that calls for more resources for students and higher pay for employees.
The district’s 80 schools were open to about 34,000 students, and students were used to “educate and supervise” office workers, administrators said.
The teachers union, the Oakland Education Association, called a strike late Wednesday to demand higher wages, smaller classes, more guidance counselors, better services for students with disabilities, additional mental health help and support for students still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. For historically black community schools.
Terry Chea/AP
“Oakland teachers are among the lowest paid in the Bay Area and have not had a new contract since before the pandemic,” the union said in a statement. “Meanwhile, rising inflation and sharply rising rent costs in the fast-gentrifying city are making it impossible for educators — especially those at the bottom of the new teacher pay scale of $52,905 — to afford rent.”
The district is the second-largest school district in the Bay Area, where rent and housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oakland is over $2,500 and the average cost of a home is over $900,000.
“I grew up in Oakland. I went to school in Oakland, I graduated from Skyline High and I came back to teach at Skyline High. I saw the turnover rate among teachers,” said Chris Huerta, a striking teacher at a rally Thursday outside Oakland City Hall.
“Teachers are leaving, too, and that has a lot to do with pay, but also a lot to do with resources for students,” he added.
District Superintendent Dr. Kayla Johnson-Trammell said the breakdown in negotiations comes from the union expecting the district to address social issues that should be addressed by everyone in the community.
“The OEA’s view of the common good is that we, the district, try to single-handedly address complex social realities like homelessness, which go beyond the scope of what public schools can and should do alone,” he said.
The district said in a statement that schools will remain open “but it will not be a normal school day.” A note to parents said school meals will continue to be served and all state and federally funded after-school programs will be held.
Teachers previously held a one-day walkout against the Oakland district on April 29, 2022. In 2019, teachers went on strike for a week and won an 11 percent pay rise.
In Los Angeles, thousands of school workers are supported by teachers A three-day strike Demanding higher wages and better working conditions in March. The LA Unified School District quickly reached an agreement with the Service Employees International Union, which represents bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other service workers, and members ratified the contract last month.