This past week, more than 35,000 students were out of class. Teachers, alongside other staff and supporters, were at the picket lines demanding better wages, working conditions and resources for students.
The Oakland Educators Association, the union representing more than 3,000 Oakland teachers and staff, called an end to the strike late Sunday night after reaching a tentative agreement with the Oakland Unified School District.
Staff and students are now required to return to classes May 16.
The new two-and-half-year tentative agreement addresses living wages for educators, more resources in schools and common good issues for students and families.
In addition, the agreement outlines a 15-and-a-half percent pay increase for most teachers, retroactive pay, a bilingual stipend for multilingual educators, an increase of school counselors, nurses, librarians and additional support staff.
It also includes an agreement on four “common goods” demands that will support students experiencing housing insecurity, “shared governance for community schools, support for Historically Black Schools, and processes for school closures.”
