Thousands of Oakland teachers go on strike

Around 3,000 teachers from the Oakland Education Association are on strike as they struggle to finalize a contract negotiation with the Oakland Unified School District in California.

The union says the district has not negotiated “in good faith” and authorized a strike with no current end date. 

“Educators will be on the picket line tomorrow, on strike for our students & for Oakland schools. Join us on the picket line. We will continue to negotiate in good faith & hope the district does the same,” the Oakland Education Association tweeted. 

The educators are fighting for better pay and working conditions in one of California’s largest school districts. The strike means the roughly 34,000 students in the district will have their classes canceled. 

A post by the school district Wednesday took an optimistic tone of hopes for a finalized contract soon. 

“After six full days and nights of contract negotiations with the Oakland Education Association (OEA), we believe that a deal with our Teachers’ Union is within reach,” the school said. 

The school district shared details of the proposed contract with their community, saying K-12 teachers would receive a raise ranging from 13 percent to 22 percent in the next year, along with a one-time $5,000 bonus. 

“We know that our dedicated teachers would much prefer to be in class with students, rather than walking a strike line. We also know that this uncertainty can be unsettling for our students, families, and staff and want to share some family resources with you,” the school said. 

The Hill has reached out to both OEA and the Oakland Unified School District for further comment.