News Update

No union agreement yet in Oakland Unified, with school set to start Monday

Despite bargaining unti 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, the 21-member bargaining team for the Oakland Education Association announced Tuesday evening that it has not yet reached an agreement with Oakland Unified to determine how distance learning will be provided to students when school starts Monday.

Eighty-two % of union members – who include teachers, school psychologists, nurses and other staff members who work directly with students – voted to approve a “collective work action” starting Monday if no agreement is reached, they said during a Facebook Live event.

District spokesman John Sasaki said the district looks forward to coming to an agreement soon. “Even though we disagree in a few areas,” he said, “we know that OEA and OUSD are working hard to reach a deal and want the best for our students and families.”

A work action means that the union would abide by work hours, instructional plans and other items they have been negotiating based on their last offer instead of abiding by the district’s proposal. Major disagreements continue regarding how teachers will spend the first two weeks of school, the amount of flexibility they will be given within their work days, and what kinds of training they will receive, and how schedules for students in grades 6-12 will be determined.

The union wants to spend the first two weeks of school building relationships with students and families, ensuring that they have the technology and training necessary to begin online learning, and planning lessons with colleagues in the same grade levels and subject areas. Teachers and other members of the bargaining team said they remain committed to their proposal, which also includes provisions for improving the education of Black students.

Union member Bethany Meyer told EdSource after the presentation that teachers will report to work virtually Wednesday through Friday for professional development, as planned, and will report to schools virtually Monday to work according to their proposal. However, she said negotiations are continuing.