The Oakland academics strike continued Thursday after a extra contentious flip the day earlier than, as allegations of deceptive figures, canceled board conferences and a doubling-down towards the “frequent good” proposals left the labor battle maybe extra muddled and messy coming into its second week than it was in its first.
For the sixth day in a row, 1000's of academics — joined by dad and mom, college students and a few group members — stuffed early morning picket strains exterior colleges. They then gathered for a “mega picket” rally within the afternoon at Glenview Elementary Faculty on La Cresta Avenue.
Negotiations between the Oakland Schooling Affiliation and Oakland Unified had not resumed as of Thursday afternoon, after the 2 sides appeared to have pushed additional aside Wednesday regardless of promising weekend developments in direction of an settlement.
Whereas the final consensus was that the foremost hang-up was based mostly on the union and district’s elementary disagreements on frequent good measures, which search to deal with racial fairness, homelessness and environmental justice for college kids throughout town, academics additionally alleged they got deceptive data by the district — and that solely 44% of union members would obtain the hoped-for 22% wage bump within the newest proposal.
Regardless of these claims, OUSD Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell stated in a video posted Wednesday night time that the edges “seem near an settlement on a sturdy bundle which might give academics a historic elevate.” She acknowledged that solely “some academics” and OEA workers would obtain a 22% elevate beneath the most recent proposal.
The varsity board had scheduled an everyday assembly Wednesday at La Escuelita Elementary college, with a convention with labor negotiators to provide the general public an replace on the agenda. Though the assembly was canceled simply hours earlier than, the union rallied exterior the college through the afternoon.
The district nonetheless managed to get its message throughout Wednesday night in a bulletin, wherein it supplied a push-back towards the frequent good measures and claimed that full implementation of the union’s calls for would price the district greater than $1 billion. The union alleges the true price of their calls for can be nearer to $500,000.
“The remaining situation is how greatest to work on the frequent good proposal, which seeks to assign the college district with addressing such broad societal points as housing for homeless and drought-tolerant landscaping,” she stated. “Whereas the district agrees that these points must be addressed, and we're already engaged on a lot of them, the problems can't be tackled by college district budgets alone.”
Within the bulletin, the district addressed among the particular frequent good measures, together with the unions’ proposal that former and unused college websites all through the district be repurposed into housing for unhoused college students. The district stated it will “like to associate” with the union on different makes use of for vacant district properties, however the situation must be tackled on a group stage, not by trainer contracts.
The district additionally stated it’s investing voter-approved bond cash into guaranteeing security at college websites by renovating campuses, enhancing perimeter security and including digital camera and door entry programs to varsities. The district added that measures akin to these must be determined by voters, not by union contracts.
Nonetheless, some dad and mom really feel that including such necessities to union contracts could be the one approach to get enhancements made. Simone Greenberg, a mom of two kids at Thornhill Elementary, stated she is aware of 5 households who've left the district as a result of they didn’t obtain sufficient help for his or her kids with particular wants, together with autism.
“It’s actually powerful having youngsters residence, and having our routine change,” stated Sarah Wright-Schreiberg, one other mom of three kids at Thornhill Elementary. “However the truth that it’s arduous must be a reminder to folks of how very important these academics are in our lives.”
There may be nonetheless no phrase on whether or not the college 12 months will likely be prolonged to make up for misplaced time through the strike, or if the district would take into account holding a summer season session as soon as academics are again within the classroom.