In October, district-mandated consolidations led to the loss of a Spanish teacher at Oakland High and caused scheduling chaos for over 170 students and a dozen teachers. Now, school admin has rehired him for a different role as an ELD newcomer teacher. Oakland High had missed the enrollment target by 30 students, which supposedly justified … Continue reading Consolidations Cause Whiplash for Oakland High students and staff
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New Agreement Shackles OEA’s Power to Fight Unfair Labor Practices
OEA President, Ismael Armendariz, recently signed an agreement with OUSD severely limiting our power to combat the District’s frequent violations of labor law, aka Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs). Last summer OEA held a seven-day ULP strike in May 2023 for OUSD’s bad-faith bargaining, and to counter the District filed its own ULP charge against OEA … Continue reading New Agreement Shackles OEA’s Power to Fight Unfair Labor Practices
Prop 28 Funding for the Arts is Here
OUSD received over 6 million dollars. Funds were distributed straight to sites in January and the window to spend funds ends in February so check in with your principal ASAP on how they are going to spend this money. See here how much money your site received. 80% of the money is meant to supplant … Continue reading Prop 28 Funding for the Arts is Here
New OEA Budget Leaves Issues Unresolved
An emergency rep council meeting was held on November 30 to vote on a revised OEA budget. Only 50 site representatives participated in the vote that approved the revised budget; 31 reps approved, 19 opposed. The biggest change to the budget is the release of OEA's Treasurer and Secretary from the classroom. The 2023-24 budget … Continue reading New OEA Budget Leaves Issues Unresolved
OUSD Set to make at least $70 million in budget cuts for next year – STIP substitutes the first to go
Amidst a $33 million budget shortfall for the next school year, OUSD is planning to adjust the budget through cutting site allocations and per pupil funding. This has led to a district wide cut of STIP substitutes, with the district now forcing school sites to use the site budget to keep their STIPs. In addition, … Continue reading OUSD Set to make at least $70 million in budget cuts for next year – STIP substitutes the first to go
[PRESS RELEASE] Rank & File Caucus Supports Class Action Grievance
Background: On April 30th, 2023, Oakland Unified School District docked hundreds of teachers pay for taking on sick day on March 24th, 2023. OUSD selectively docked teachers pay and opted not to doc other teachers pay who also took a sick day on March 24th, 2023. In some cases OUSD docked teachers pay and multiple … Continue reading [PRESS RELEASE] Rank & File Caucus Supports Class Action Grievance
The Four Years that Led Us Here
Our union members are caught between a rock and a hard place with this Tentative Agreement (TA). For many of us who were here in 2019, it feels like déjà vu. While the gains of the TA are necessary to immediately retain teachers in OUSD, they’re nothing to write home about. Devastatingly, the compensation, class … Continue reading The Four Years that Led Us Here
Why Our Strike Accomplished So Little
Last month we posted “From Wildcat to the Whole OEA,” where we proposed some possible actions to maximize pressure on the District to win our contract demands, since Build Our Power (BOP) union leadership had waited too long to launch a powerful strike this school year and was not conducting a member-driven bargaining campaign. We … Continue reading Why Our Strike Accomplished So Little
Shutting Down $57 Million Dollar OUSD Construction Project For One Day
On Thursday May 11, 2023, OEA teachers and allies picketed the construction site of the $57 million dollar OUSD administration building that uses Measure Y funding designated for school building repairs. Rank and file construction workers respected the picket line, shutting down work for the day. This is significant because the workers were under tremendous pressure to cross the picket from their foremen and the Building Trades union officialdom.
Getting Our Strike Strategy and Politics Straight
Many OEA members have joined in the organizing to prepare for our Unfair Labor Practice strike now set to begin May 4. Some have focused on creating solidarity schools (aka strike schools) to minimize harm to students and families that could occur if schools shut down near the end of the academic year.
Oakland Rank and File Caucus 