Union joins wave of educators’ strikes across US: ‘Oakland teachers cannot afford to live in Oakland’
Thousands of Oakland public school teachers went on strike Thursday, calling for smaller class sizes, more resources, and better pay in a city where tech money has made it difficult for the vast majority of teachers to survive.
The Oakland Education Association – the union that represents teachers, librarians, counselors, and nurses serving 36,000 students in 87 schools –has been negotiating with the Oakland Unified school district (Ousd) for two years, said the union president, Keith Brown.
“Oakland teachers cannot afford to live in Oakland,” Brown said at a news conference announcing the strike. “One out of five leave each year. Five hundred classrooms are left with inexperienced teachers each year.
Denver: immigrant teachers threatened with deportation if they join strikes
