Update: District officials say Oakland teachers' strike will continue Friday

OAKLAND -- Officials with the Oakland Unified School District announced early Thursday evening that the teachers' strike would continue Friday as negotiations remained at a stalemate.

"We regret to inform you that the OEA strike will continue into Friday, May 5," the notification sent to Oakland Unified parents read.

The statement issued by the district reiterated what had been offered to the teachers union, noting the latest OUSD proposal "would put payouts ranging from more than $8,700 to nearly $12,000 in the paychecks of OEA members this month." 

That offer was still on the table Wednesday night when OEA representatives decided to move forward with the strike, the district said.

"Unfortunately, the negotiations shifted to address unrelated topics of great importance to OEA leaders and that is where things stalled," the district's latest statement said.

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond also reached out to both sides Thursday, asking them to come back to the table where he and his team will formally mediate negotiations to end the strike.

"We are disappointed that the parties could not find an agreement in time to avert a strike," Thurmond said in a news release. "We observed how hard both sides worked and will start immediately working with the parties in a formal mediation capacity. Our goal is to help the parties reach an agreement and to end the strike so that students can return to class as quickly as possible." 

The district thanked Thurmond for his offer in their latest statement.

"We stand ready to go back to the table at any time to work out a deal that will properly serve and honor our teachers, nurses, psychologists, counselors and other OEA members," district officials said.

Thousands of Oakland public school teachers walked picket lines outside school Thursday morning after contract talks between union representatives and the district failed to reach agreement on a new labor pact.

With just days left until the end of the school year, district officials were keeping schools open on a modified schedule. But as students arrived for classes, they and their parents were greeted by picket lines.

In a news release, Oakland Education Association Interim President Ismael Armendariz blamed the district for forcing the walkout.

"Our members have been clear that without an agreement a strike would begin the morning of May 4," Armendariz wrote. "Apparently, the District also wants a strike. They got one."

Parents arriving to drop off their children voiced support for the teachers.

"They already don't get paid enough," said LaToya Harrison. "Where are they suppose to get the money from. We're all struggling. You would think the district would come with some type of solution."

"It's frustrating," said parent Jesse Jackson. "Teachers are definitely underpaid. They should be paid to deal with the economics, the economy right now."

At a morning news conference, OUSD president Mike Hutchison voiced disappointment that the negotiations had led to a walkout.

"This is a very disappointing day. It's not a position I ever thought I'd find myself in," he told reporters. "For me personally, I'm an OEA baby. My mother was the former first vice president of the OEA. I've had other (family) members as members of OEA. This is what my family has done for decades.

"We've been negotiating for months and for over a week we've been negotiating every day, We want to continue negotiating. We don't want a strike, but they (the teachers union) left the table and have broken off discussions. Not us."

"It's very disappointing to me when it felt like we were having movement toward an agreement that this is where we find ourselves now."

Hutchison said as late as Wednesday there were direct negotiations between OUSD leadership and OEA leadership.

"So when I see messages that OUSD has not been bargaining, has not shown up at the table, that is incorrect," he said. 

Teachers are demanding better pay but also improved conditions in the classroom.

The district's statement said officials didn't know how long the strike would last but that officials will "continue to bargain with OEA in an effort to reach an agreement." 

"The end of the school year is always filled with milestone events for our students, so we want to ensure regular school resumes as soon as possible," the statement added.

More than 3,000 teachers and staffers went on strike, impacting the district's 34,000 students. 

The district is proposing that every teacher get a raise in the range of at least 13% to as much as 22 percent. Raises will also be provided for the district's nurses, counselors and psychologists. 

The district is the second-largest school district in the Bay Area, where rents and housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oakland is more than $2,500, according to Rent Cafe.  

The teachers' union says the negotiations are focused on more than just money. They want smaller class sizes, counselors at every school and better classroom conditions with air filtration and climate control.