Portland teachers union president Gwen Sullivan says strike vote was 'bittersweet' (Q&A)
Portland Association of Teachers president Gwen Sullivan addressed reporters outside the union's headquarters. Members of the union overwhelming voted to strike on Wednesday, a decision Sullivan called "bittersweet." (Nicole Dungca/The Oregonian)
Portland Association of Teachers president Gwen Sullivan called her union's historic vote to strike a "bittersweet" moment for nearly 2,800 educators.
Union members on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to authorize a walkout that would affect nearly 48,000 students in Oregon's largest district. If teachers walk out on the job Feb. 20, they would be part of the first strike in Portland Public Schools history.
In an interview with The Oregonian two days after the vote, Sullivan reiterated that teachers do not want to take to the picket lines.
"It’s not a teacher’s desire to strike," she said. "But it is the only way that people feel like we can actually make things better."
As a strike becomes more of a possibility, Sullivan has urged parents to join teachers during a strike. She also said that school isn't the best place for students during a strike.
"It’s not really school," she said. "It would be more like a holding center."
When asked whether parents should be concerned about teachers going through with a walkout, Sullivan mentioned the district's willingness to concede.
"The last thing the district said is that they were done, they had no more ideas, and they had no other moves," she said. "If that is truly the case, then parents should be