Around 3,000 Oakland teachers hit the picket line Thursday morning after failing to reach a contract agreement with the school district late Wednesday.
Teachers had said they would strike if they could not reach a deal. The walkout ends seven days of bargaining.
According to Oakland United School District, schools will remain open and some staff will be on campus, but no normal instruction will take place. Teachers said they wanted the schools to be open for children who had nowhere else to go during the day.
The district and the teachers union sparred over myriad issues during contract negotiations. One of the most important demands by teachers was a 23% pay raise across the board. The district offered structured salary increases, which would have seen the most senior members getting the highest raises.
The district said it has no idea how long the strike will last, but intends to continue to negotiate with the teachers to get students back in the classroom at this crucial juncture.
“The end of the school year is always filled with milestone events for our students, so we want to ensure regular school resumes as soon as possible,” a statement from the district reads.
While many parents remain concerned that their children will fall behind as a consequence of the strike, some support the teachers and feel sympathetic to their cause.
“I think a lot of parent groups are really trying to support and figure out ways that we can support one another through these times,” Oakland parent Tahnee Camacho told NBC.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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