Oakland teachers walked off the job for their planned strike Thursday after failing to come to an agreement with the school district late Wednesday.
The strike comes just weeks before the end of the school year and after seven days of bargaining for what they call a fair contract.
The Oakland Unified School District said it doesn't know how long the strike will last but that it’ll continue to work with the union to reach an agreement.
The district said schools will be open but it won’t be a “typical school day.” Central staff will be at campuses to ensure students have a safe place to go, but there won't be any instruction.
The district and the teachers' union have sparred over pay, benefits and classroom conditions. Among the biggest sticking points is the size of the pay increase for teachers and supporting services for students, including those for unhoused students.
Teachers said they'd hope something came together before 3,000 educators went on strike. But they also said students would not be penalized for not coming to school.
"Feeling pretty stressed," Lincoln Elementary School teacher Courtney Furch said before the strike was announced. "I don’t think anyone wants to strike. We have other strike campuses, schools set up for kids to go to during the day that can take kids so that teachers can be on strike."
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Parents rallied behind teachers and are working with parent groups to coordinate alternative care for district students who need somewhere to go if teachers don't return to class.
"We need to be making money to support our families," parent Tahnee Camacho said. "I think a lot of parent groups are really trying to support and figure out ways that we can support one another through these times."
Teachers plan to hit the picket line at around 7 a.m. Thursday. It will be followed by a rally at Oakland City Hall.
Read the full statement from Oakland Unified below:
"Dear Oakland Unified Community,
After seven long days and nights of bargaining, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) has decided to go ahead with their planned strike starting tomorrow, Thursday, May 4.
While we do not know how long the strike will last, we continue to bargain with OEA in an effort to reach an agreement. The end of the school year is always filled with milestone events for our students, so we want to ensure regular school resumes as soon as possible.
Schools will be open, but it will not be a typical school day as teachers are key to any instructional program. They will be on strike and not in classrooms.
Central office staff have been assigned to serve at schools to ensure students are safe. Please be aware of communication coming from your school and principal this evening and tomorrow, as they will be providing specific site instructions.
For families, we have put together this document to share important information in multiple languages in case of a strike. You may have been notified about “solidarity schools” opening up during the strike. These are not OUSD sanctioned schools.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this process."
