With Strike Imminent, Portland Teachers Wear Black to Mourn the Death of Bargaining
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Teachers in Portland remain on the verge of striking as their attempts to negotiate a new contract are stuck at a crossroads.
On Tuesday, Teachers wore black to “mourn the district’s refusal to continue bargaining.” This came after the board offered their “best offer” which did nothing to help alleviate growing class and ignored a push for more teacher hiring, a main priority of the teachers union. The district’s refusal was made more egregious as it announced a larger than expected budget surplus. The teachers union has been attempting to negotiate a new contract for over nine months.
On Monday night, students joined teachers, parents, and local unions at a school board meeting in solidarity with their teachers. The 400-plus students in attendance declared that they would join their teachers on the picket lines if a strike occurred. The Portland Student Union organized the “Pack the School Board” event demanding to have its needs heard.
According to Infoshop the student union’s demands include:
Class sizes less than 20
Proper funding of the arts
More time with guidance counselors
Student-teacher collaboration in building curriculum
Rich, relevant curriculum—not Common Core
Democratic process in the allocation of funds
Restorative justice—not suspensions and expulsions
Funding for wrap-around programs
Support for all teachers
No school closures
Proper funding of the arts
More time with guidance counselors
Student-teacher collaboration in building curriculum
Rich, relevant curriculum—not Common Core
Democratic process in the allocation of funds
Restorative justice—not suspensions and expulsions
Funding for wrap-around programs
Support for all teachers
No school closures
All board members except pro-union Steve Buel exited the meeting quickly, refusing to hear the students demands.
As Oregon Live notes, superintendent Carole Smith has said that she does not believe district officials will work with the latest proposal from the teachers union:
Smith has said she doesn’t believe the district can offer more than the concessions the two sides worked