Since Bay Area Educators United came together in March 2021 the goal of the group has been to encourage and help foment greater solidarity, organization, and mobilization between educators across District lines. 

The educators that formed BAEU believe that so long as the fight is confined to what Locals acting by themselves can wring from their respective Districts we are doomed to a perpetual battle for scraps. This is especially true in Districts that are predominantly working class. 

Making this change is harder than it might appear on paper. The legal bargaining process only allows action against your own school district. It’s not easy to “jump the rails” when there is only one set of rails in operation. 

Broadly speaking, there are two forms of collective action that cross-district solidarity, organizing, and mobilizing can take:

The first form of cross-district action aims to strengthen educators in their battles with their respective districts (contract battles, in most cases).  In this spirit, the BAEU has  worked to mobilize educators to support the United Teachers of Richmond in their contract at the upcoming school board meeting and the OEA at theirs in February.

The second form of cross-district action could develop from the first form, or that is our hope. Its aim would be to unite educators, not for demands on our structurally underfunded districts, but on the State of California.  

bayareaeducatorsunited@gmail.com