The last time Oakland teachers (OEA) negotiated a contract with OUSD, in 2019, it culminated in a seven-day strike. A strike seems likely this year too.

Just before the 2019 strike began, OUSD was offering 1% over 4 years. In the end, OEA accepted 11% over four years. The strike was very successful by many standards: 97% of students stayed out of school, as did 95% of teachers. Strikers were picketing at 5AM to turn away garbage trucks, and afternoon rallies and marches were massive and high-spirited. Students, parents, and other community members came out to the picket lines and were overwhelmingly supportive. However, the tentative agreement, when it came, was not enthusiastically received by many who felt that the strike was still going strong and the TA passed with 42% voting no.

Now it’s four years later, and the 11% increase has been wiped out by inflation: cost of living has risen by over 16%, meaning that the hard-won contract was in fact a 5% pay cut.

This year, OEA is asking for a salary increase of 22.97%, the amount necessary to bring Oakland teachers’ salaries in line with the median district pay level in the county. OUSD has countered with an offer of 4.5% – conditioned on educators accepting a 5.7% longer school day! OEA’s additional demands include student supports, in the form of increasing the number of librarians, counselors, nurses, and school psychologists; caps for special education teacher caseloads; and for support for community schools, which provide necessary services for students and their families.

The contract campaign is moving into the escalation phase, so we urge all Bay Area educators, students, parents, and concerned citizens to join the upcoming rally at the Oakland School Board Wednesday 2/8, 5:30-6:30. 1050 2nd Avenue .

As UTR and OEA move forward, I encourage all involved to review and discuss lessons learned from the 2019 strike. In particular, I recommend “An Analysis of the 2019 Oakland Teachers’ Strike,” (mronline.org), by longtime Oakland teacher and activist, Craig Gordon. Gordon argues that “lack of transparency and democracy severely limited the power [the strike] had organized.” Sequestered from the militant rank-and-file, OEA leadership were swayed by CTA staffers and Democratic party politicians (State Superintendent Tony Thurmond in particular): militant actions were rejected (ILWU had indicated pre-strike that they would honor picketing at the Port of Oakland), and a relatively quick settlement enacted. Newcomers to the politics of education may be surprised to learn of the conservatism of California Democrats, but many Democrats have been as enthusiastic as Republicans in participating in the privatization of public education, and nearly as averse to being associated with any proposed tax increases, even (or especially) upon the billionaires. Thus, they were threatened by proposed tactics which would be embarrassing or affect their own financial interests. CTA has allied itself closely with the Democratic party.

However, there are reasons to hope for better results this time: both OEA rank-and-file and leaders have the recent experience of 2019 to draw upon, and the Oakland School Board is no longer controlled by education privatizers. Still, OEA will need all the support they can get – so get out there! The picket line is a joyous place, especially in Oakland!

Danny Green