Teachers' demands included a living wage, equitable class sizes and expanded special education services.
The Oakland Unified School District had stonewalled us—delaying meetings, failing to show up, and presenting vague proposals that demonstrated a limited understanding of what’s really needed day to day in schools.
Until the strike date was set, the district’s offer of a retroactive pay increase for 2022-2023 was the equivalent of 1.4 percent for most members. OEA members would need a 22.79 percent increase in pay to reach the average Bay Area teacher salary. Since our students’ living conditions shape the circumstances in which they are trying to learn, we were also fighting for “common good” demands on housing and transportation, environmental justice and school safety, reparations for Black students, and a school culture that practices restorative justice instead of discipline and punishment.
Every member of the bargaining team was voted in by co-workers at their school site or in their specialist group to represent that group’s interests and experiences, as well as to solicit feedback and communicate progress on the bargaining process. “As our negotiations continue today,” wrote the district, “we are discussing additional topics of great importance to OEA leaders, including topics that are not mandatory subjects of bargaining.”
OUSD had already received a state grant of $85 million to spend over two years on community schools, to include shared governance, community support services, and restorative school culture. We were demanding a say in how this money was spent.
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