Update: District officials say Oakland teachers' strike will extend into Tuesday

OAKLAND -- Officials with the Oakland Unified School District announced early Monday evening that the teachers' strike would extend into a fourth day on Tuesday, alerting parents that negotiations with the Oakland Education Association remained at an impasse.

"Schools will once again be open on Tuesday, May 9, with nutrition services and other supports available for students. But with teachers engaging in the work stoppage, school operations will be reduced as they have been since Thursday of last week," the statement issued by the district said.

Oakland Unified also shared a brief, one-minute video clip of Superintendant Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell.

"As you know, despite the OUSD negotiations team spending the entire weekend trying to find a collaborative way forward, OEA has continued their strike," said Johnson-Trammell.  "With just 13 school days left in the academic year, it is imperative that our students conclude the year positively with the many exciting and memorable experiences we cherish during this time of year."

Early Monday, thousands of students sat idly in Oakland classrooms, unsure of when their school year will end as district officials and the teachers union remain without any movement toward a new contract.

During a Monday Zoom call news conference, OUSD school board president Mike Hutchison said school officials have yet to determine when classes would break for the summer.

And when further asked about what kind of instruction was going on at the schools that have remained open, he answered: "It (the strike) means little to no instruction is happening in our schools."

Hutchison said his negotiators worked until 1:30 a.m. Monday to review a counter proposal from the teachers union. While he didn't characterize the proposal, he said both sides need to return to the bargaining table as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate that we finally received the counter-proposal, we would also appreciate them coming back to the table," Hutchison said. "Though it has been reported that we have been the ones missing meetings and not bargaining, that's simply not accurate."

Hutchison also said that while State Superintendent Tony Thurmond has been helpful in the talks, he has yet to formally engage as a mediator.

District officials want to focus on pay and economic issues while the teachers want the negotiations to include social issues -- referred to as common good issues -- generally outside traditional contract talks.

"I would also like to reiterate our position on common good proposals," Hutchison said. "While we agree on the principles, they simply do not belong in contract language."

Union leaders issued an early morning statement declaring "the strike by educators is and has been about more than a livable wage ... the ability of  educators to use their professional judgment to advocate for the needs of students also is subject to bargaining."   

Included in the teachers' proposals are community schools where state grant money is tied to a process called "shared decision-making." 

Meanwhile, the school district issued a statement focusing entirely on economic issues,

"We've put all our money on the table to take care of our teachers and there is not much room to do anything else," the late Sunday night release stated. "We continue to focus on finding common ground with OEA to get this deal done."

The district offer includes:

• A retroactive 10% raise and a $5,000 one-time bonus that puts money in the pockets of all OEA members this year. 

• Provides a minimum salary increase compared to their current salary of at least 13% and as much as 22% for every classroom teacher beginning next year.

• Removes "frozen zones" in the existing salary schedule, which currently means teachers can go up to eight years without a raise, a problem the district says has existed for decades.

• Shortens the time teachers take to move to the top of the pay scale from 32 years to 20 years.

With about two weeks left in the school year, parents and students find themselves caught in the middle.

"That's frustrating because I don't know who to believe," said parent Rebecca Campbell. "I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle, but it's challenging to try and thread the needle with all the different."

More than 3,000 teachers and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District went on strike last Thursday, claiming the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract that asks for more resources for students and higher pay for employees.

The district's 80 schools remain open for the roughly 34,000 students, and office staff were tapped to "educate and supervise" the students, 

The district is the second-largest school district in the Bay Area, where rents and housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oakland is more than $2,500 and the average cost for a house is more than $900,000.

"I grew up in Oakland. I went to school in Oakland, I graduated from Skyline High and I'm back to teaching at Skyline High. I've seen firsthand the turnover rates among teachers," said Chris Huerta, a striking teacher at a rally outside Oakland City Hall.

"Teachers keep leaving as well, and it's like it has a lot to do with pay, but also a lot to do with resources for students," he added.

District Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the breakdown in negotiations comes from the union expecting the district to solve societal issues that should be addressed by everyone in the community.

"OEA's vision of the common good is about us, the district, attempting to singularly solve complex societal realities, such as homelessness, that go far beyond the scope of what public schools can and should do alone," she said.

The district said in a statement schools will be open "but it will not be a typical school day." 

On Monday afternoon, the Oakland NAACP released a statement saying that while it believes teachers should be fairly compensated and they have the right to strike after negotiations reach an impasse, it disagrees with the decision to strike at this particular time of the year.

"We strongly urge the OEA to reconsider its decision to continue to strike at such a critical time in the school year," said Oakland NAACP President Cynthia Adams. "As an educator in OUSD for over 35 years, I have seen the devastating effects of learning disruption on our students. Currently, students are taking exams, preparing for college and other important activities and need the support of their teachers and community to finish their school year strong."