OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — 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 asks for more resources for students and higher pay for employees.
The district’s 80 schools remained open for the roughly 34,000 students, and office staff were tapped to “educate and supervise” the students, administrators said.
The teachers union, the Oakland Education Association, called a strike late Wednesday, demanding higher wages, smaller classes, more guidance counselors, improved services for students with disabilities, additional mental health help for students still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and support for Historically Black Community Schools.
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 and the average cost for a house is more than $900,000.
District Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the breakdown in negotiations comes from the union expecting the district to solve societal issues that should be addressed by everyone in the community.
The district said in a statement schools will be open “but it will not be a typical school day.” A note to parents said school meals would continue to be served and all state and federally funded after-school programs would go on being held.
Teachers previously held a one-day walkout against the Oakland district on April 29, 2022. In 2019, educators struck for a week and won an 11 percent pay raise.