[olympiaworkers] Oakland Teachers Set to Strike April 29th After Board Imposes Contract
Indybay.org Apr 26th, 2010
Oakland teachers have worked over two years without a contract. In
order to push negotiations along, a three-person panel was convened to
resolve financial and other disputes between the Oakland Unified
School District and the Oakland Education Association. The panel
reviewed the budget and related issues and made recommendations that
included a 2% pay increase for teachers. The District Board and
Superintendent, however, chose to completely ignore the 28-page report
and scheduled an emergency hearing to vote on imposing their "last,
best, final offer" onto Oakland teachers which includes no pay raise,
claiming the district could not afford any increases. Teachers and
their allies packed the Board meeting on April 21st to object to any
imposition of a labor contract without the Oakland Educator
Association's consent. [Full audio below.]
Over 45 teachers and their allies in the community took turns voicing
concerns and expressing dissent about imposition of a contract. One lone
speaker praised the growing number of anti-union charter schools in
Oakland. After everyone who had filled out a speaker card had their time
at the microphone, members of the Oakland Unified School District Board
took turns justifying the vote they would soon take to impose a contract,
several of whom strangely spoke of future unity and collaboration with
Oakland's teachers, which their bad faith vote would do absolutely nothing
to help foster. In what appeared to be a pre-determined show of strength
by the Board, the vote was unanimous to impose a contract that denies
raises, increases class sizes, and lays off teachers. Those who had filled
the room to defend Oakland teachers then stormed out of the building and
immediately began to organize for the city-wide strike coming this
Thursday.
Oakland teachers are asking all citizens of Oakland to stand with them in
solidarity on April 29th -- and beyond as the struggle for a fair labor
contract will undoubtedly continue.
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