OAKLAND — After more than two years of failed negotiations, the Oakland school board faces a big decision: whether to impose a new contract for its teachers.
In a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the board will vote on a resolution that would immediately implement the school district's final offer to the teachers union, which the membership soundly rejected in January. That offer includes no changes to teacher pay.
The union is planning a one-day strike for April 29. Its members have yet to vote on long-term action.
"It's a terrible distraction," said Betty Olson-Jones, president of the Oakland teachers union. "This is just going to prolong what's been going on for 2½ years."
Teachers union leaders had hoped to return to the bargaining table early this week; last Wednesday, a neutral fact-finder released a report with recommendations for resolving the dispute. The fact-finder concluded that the district, which is projecting a deficit of about $37 million in its general purpose fund for next year, couldn't afford some of the union's demands, including a 15 percent raise, small class sizes and smaller caseloads for counselors and nurses. Instead, the mediator suggested a 2 percent increase in 2012 and a larger boost at the upper end of the pay scale.
The district administration, however, told union leaders Friday that they did not plan to use the fact-finding report as a starting point for another round of negotiations
— or to continue bargaining at all, said Olson-Jones.
Troy Flint, the district's spokesman, said the report was contradictory and fiscally irresponsible because it called for raises despite acknowledging the district's deep financial hole. He said the two sides had held nearly 40 negotiating sessions and that they remained so far apart that returning to the table would be a "charade."
Olson-Jones said she was stunned by the district's unwillingness to negotiate; until the administration makes teacher