Oakland teachers union stays neutral on tax
By Katy Murphy
Monday, September 13th, 2010 at 9:23 pm in OEA, budget, charter schools,initiatives
No Comments
The Oakland teachers union opposed the school district’s last (failed) attempt to raise its members’ salaries via local taxation (”Outstanding Teachers for All Oakland Students Act“). But tonight, union leaders decided take a neutral position on a similar initiative, Measure L, according to union President Betty Olson-Jones.
“I think it was the best we could have hoped for, given the track record,” said Peter Fiske, a Chabot Elementary School parent who’s volunteering on the parcel tax campaign.
Rebranded as “Oakland Unified School District’s Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure,” Measure L would cost Oakland property owners $195 a year and generate an estimated $20 million. Though “teacher” does not appear in the title, most the funds would go to the salaries of teachers and other school-based employees.
The teachers union, which held a one-day strike in April and has yet to resolve a contract dispute with the district, withdrew Read the rest of this entry »