Oakland teachers could go on strike as early as next week if union leaders call for one, marking the last step in an adversarial bargaining process that has dragged on for nearly a year.
Last week, members of the Oakland teachers union – 91% of those who participated – voted to authorize a possible strike, saying they had spent nearly a year bargaining with the school district, with significant stagnation on matters of pay. Union leaders did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday.
Union officials said they were committed to “striking for a fair contract that ensures the safe, stable, racially-just schools Oakland students deserve.” Leaders have said Oakland teachers are among the lowest paid in the Bay Area.
For months, both sides have been arguing over whether the district can afford to pay the union’s proposed wage increase and other proposed contract changes. At this stage, a strike could be called as early as midweek, if union leaders decide to do so.
The district, which is on the precipice of bankruptcy, lost $9.4 million in state revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year because of declining enrollment, according to a fact-finding report. The report also found that the district’s wages are contributing to a major issue in employee retention and recruitment, noting that about 400 educators leave the district each year.
District officials have said they are working hard to come to an agreement with the teachers union on a new contract and have been seeking a solution that can balance both sides.
“Throughout this time, the District has been trying to come to terms that honor OUSD educators for the work they do every day in service of our students, while at the same time staying within our means because of the very real financial challenges with which the District is currently contending,” officials said in a statement.
Teachers with the Oakland Unified School District, which includes Melrose Leadership Academy, could strike as early as next week if union leaders call for one. (RJ Mickelson/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The union had initially sought a wage increase of 14%, then offered to reduce it to 12%, according to the report. The district insisted the request was “entirely too rich” and could send it into financial receivership, noting that even a 1% increase could cost the district up to $5.04 million – a move that would render it unable to maintain its required minimum percent in unrestricted reserves.
After meeting with both sides, the fact-finding panel agreed with the district that the union’s 14% proposal was financially untenable, but suggested a 9% to 10% increase in wages over the next two years, with extra for top tier and special education teachers. They also urged the district to “wean itself of consultants” by gradually reducing its reliance on the “expensive process of contracting out.”
“During fact finding the district repeatedly complained there were too many employees, yet they spent more than $316,000 on just one outside consultant in 2024-2025,” the report stated.
Neither side is obligated to follow the fact-finding report’s recommendations. The board is expected to meet Wednesday with a financial stabilization plan.
This article originally published at Oakland school district crisis: Teachers union overwhelmingly votes to authorize strike.