Oakland Teachers Strike Update for February 25th: https://oaklandnewsnowblog.com/index.php/2019/02/25/oakland-teachers-strike-extends-to-monday-february-25th-2019/
Oakland Teachers Strike Update: The Oakland Unified School District sent over this update email to Zennie62Media, on talks to reach a settlement to avoid a strike by Oakland Teachers – the negotiations did not go well. Here’s the email:
The following is an update on negotiations between the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and the Oakland Education Association (OEA). Although we had hoped to avert a strike on February 21, 2019, we are pleased that Oakland Education Association agreed to return to the bargaining table this morning at 9:00 a.m., at which time the parties reviewed another revised packaged offer presented by the District. Unfortunately, there was no movement from OEA on this new proposal.
OEA’s failure to respond with a counterproposal this morning means that OEA has maintained the same proposal on the primary issues: compensation, class size/caseloads, evaluations and hours of work since they last submitted a proposal in May of 2018. The District’s State Trustee indicated that OEA’s May proposal is not a financially sound option.
We are hopeful that OEA will come prepared with proposals in future sessions and that the strike will come to an end soon. The District is prepared to work through this challenging time in support of students, employees and the community.
Does Oakland Unified School District’s Proposal Address the Primary Issues in Negotiations?
Yes. The District’s proposal presents creative solutions to addressing all issues including compensation, class size, evaluations and caseloads. Please see OUSD’s Full Proposal to OEA.
How Does Oakland Unified School District’s Proposal Compare to the Report from the Neutral Fact-finder Appointed by the Public Employees Relations Board?
Overall, OUSD’s proposal either meets or exceeds the recommendations provided by the Fact-finder’s report. For example, the report recommends a 6 percent on-going raise while the District’s proposal is a 7 percent on-going increase and a 1.5 percent bonus. The District’s proposal on class size includes a reduction of 1 student for all schools and 2 students in schools with a high concentration of our most vulnerable students.
How Much Would OEA’s Proposed Salary Increase Cost?
The total cost of OEA’s compensation proposal is $24.9 million over the course of the three-year agreement. When step increases are factored in the total cost is $36.6 million. Moreover, this increased cost does not take into account the District’s need to also provide raises to our classified staff. The District is not in a position to carry this on-going expense. We must be prudent.
For More Information:Family Resource Guide (available in multiple languages)
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about a strike
Visit www.ousd.org/teacherstrike
Follow @ousdnews on Facebook and Twitter