PHOTOS: Oakland Teachers Paint, Prepare to Vote on Strike
Oakland teachers will vote at the end of the month on whether they want to go on strike as they remain locked in contract negotiations with the Oakland Unified School District.
"A democratic strike vote by paper ballot at school sites in the Oakland Unified School District will send a message that Oakland educators are serious about ending the teacher retention crisis," said Keith Brown, president of the Oakland Educators Association, who officially called for the strike vote on Sunday.
The union is calling for a 12 percent raise over three years, while OUSD is offering five percent. The vote — which could give union leaders the power to call a strike — will start on Jan. 29 and last four days.
The announcement came at an "art build" event at the union's offices in Oakland. Educators, parents and students came together over three days to make banners in preparation for a strike. The signs were designed by local artists including Favianna Rodriguez and Micah Bazant, as well as artists from Art Build Workers, an artist collective based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Oakland High School teacher Lara Trale says she's still hopeful for a resolution. "We would love to avoid a strike, but for that to happen the district needs to really work with its teachers instead of against them," she said.
Oakland teachers and their supporters are building on a larger movement that includes teachers currently striking in Los Angeles and, before that, in red states like West Virginia and Kentucky.
In a statement, OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel said the district is CONTINUE READING: PHOTOS: Oakland Teachers Paint, Prepare to Vote on Strike | The California Report | KQED News
