Oakland teachers vote to authorize strike
OAKLAND -- Teachers in the Oakland Unified School District on Tuesday voted in favor of a strike as negotiations between the union and the district appear headed toward an impasse.
The Oakland Education Association said 87% of their teachers turned out for the online vote and among those, 87% voted to authorize a strike.
A strike could come as soon as Monday. The union said it does not want to strike and it can be avoided if the district comes to the bargaining table in good faith.
"The Oakland Unified School district's bad faith bargaining has been disrespectful to our educators and to our community," said OEA Interim President Ismael Armendariz.
OUSD issued a statement Tuesday evening saying, "As of 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, OUSD is currently at the bargaining table in negotiations with OEA. Beyond tonight, the District will remain ready to meet with the teachers' union at any time, and looks forward to continuing our efforts to reach an agreement with OEA that honors our educators and best supports our students' learning. We will continue to do everything possible to avoid a work stoppage."
The union has demanded an initial 23% raise. It is also asking for more school counselors and social workers along with smaller class sizes.
The district has proposed a 22% raise next year, with a one-time $3,000 payment to cover back pay. But union officials say that only applies to tenured teachers and not other staff.
OUSD says its proposed package, "would mean teachers in Oakland will, for the first time in decades, be paid higher than the average salary for educators in our region."
The district has been struggling with its finances and declining enrollment. It says there's simply not enough money to cover all of the union's demands.
The two sides are still negotiating and haven't declared an impasse, which would require mediation before a strike can be declared.
