Join the Caucus

If you agree with our Program (see short version below), please join our caucus! For more detail on our vision and politics, see the full Program here.

Program for a Strong, Fighting Union (short version)

Every school should be adequately staffed, clean, safe and full of robust programming for our students. To achieve this vision, conditions in California must radically change. We must break out of the narrow framework of local bargaining to coordinate statewide action with all who seek quality public schools and services for all working people.

OEA can meet the moment—but only if we pursue radical change.

Drastically improve educational conditions

• Fight for learning conditions our students need according to the best research: maximum class size of 15, more student support, more teacher prep time, and quality facilities. 
• School workers and families must have a meaningful voice in policy. 
• Embrace liberatory, teacher-driven pedagogy centered around social transformation. 

Coordinate a statewide movement to tax corporations. 

• To pay for these conditions, “chop from the top” in OUSD and California. Tax and redistribute billionaire wealth to radically increase funding for public schools and services 
• Make We Can’t Wait real—unite educators and workers statewide in coordinated action to upend the status quo. Regular union members should set our own goals and strategy to drive the campaign, including joint strikes, “official” or not.

A Stronger, More Democratic Union

• Rebuild democracy and transparency in our union by ensuring members have a meaningful voice and full information, and by respecting Rep Council’s authority.
• We need transparent bargaining. Open bargaining sessions to all union members. Create systems for member feedback before making major compromises.
• Organize regular general membership and cluster meetings to organize from the bottom up, reduce or eliminate union officers on full-time release, and unite with classified staff.
• OEA needs to assert political independence from the Democratic Party and CTA. Our union dues should be invested in strike funds and organizing, not super PACs.

Fight for Racial and Economic Justice and against Imperialism 

• Beneficial programs like restorative justice are constantly on the chopping block. To end this we must change both OUSD’s spending priorities and CA’s insufficient funding.
• Together with parent and community groups, our union must continue to fight for common-good demands that strengthen our entire community. 

We need all of us to make it happen.

ERC’s members have been at the forefront of bottom-up organizing in OEA, including founding OEA for Palestine, participating in the OEA Rapid Response Team, organizing solidarity schools to support strikes, leading the fight against school closures, and forming an alliance with longshore workers to fight privatization. 

We need our movement to grow and we cordially invite you to join us! We need ALL union members to engage with the necessary work of community and union organizing. Are you ready to join the struggle to transform public education? Contact us at educatorsforradicalchange.org/contact/