Oakland Teachers Strike Over Stalled Negotiations
Teachers in Oakland, Calif., staged a two-day walkout last week to protest stalled contract negotiations with the 52,000-student school district.
Schools remained open and were staffed by substitute teachers and credentialed administrators. Nevertheless, schools reported more than 43,000 student absences for each of the two days.
The 3,500-member Oakland Education Association called the strike to show the district it was serious about reaching a final contract, said Peter Haberfeld, an executive director of the union.
The strike followed failed negotiations on contract issues, including teachers’ pay and class size. The union voted to strike after working for more than a year without a contract. (See Education Week, Nov. 29, 1995.)
