The Oakland Unified School District board called a special closed-door meeting for Tuesday night with one topic on the agenda: labor negotiations.

Members of the Oakland Education Association, which represents the district’s 2,500 teachers, nurses, counselors, and social workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike last week after 11 months of failed negotiations. During the closed session meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, the board could give direction to the district’s labor negotiators on how much to offer to the union. 

Before the stalled negotiations hit a fact-finding phase this month, the district had offered a 0% raise to OEA over two years, citing budget constraints. During fact-finding, during which a panel of one district representative, one union representative and one appointed neutral party met to discuss the issues, the district made its first wage offer of 6.5% over two years, and an 8% raise for the most senior teachers. OEA’s initial proposal was a 14% raise over two years for all of its members. 

On Monday evening, OEA and OUSD met for the first time since the strike vote and exchanged bargaining proposals. OEA came to the table with a proposal for a 14% raise for the most senior teachers and a 12% raise for everyone else, spread over two years. The union proposal also includes an additional 5% raise for specific job classes, including nurses, special education teachers, and early childhood educators. 

Meanwhile, OUSD upped its proposal to a 7.5% raise for most teachers, a 9% raise for the top step, and a one-time 2% bonus to all members. 

During the fact-finding period, the district representative said each 1% raise costs the district about $5 million: about $2.7 million for OEA members and another $2.3 million for other district employees, since a raise for OEA triggers raises for other district employees. A 14% raise would cost OUSD about $70 million, while a 9% raise would cost about $45 million, not including any one-time bonuses. The state-appointed fact-finder recommended OUSD offer a 9% to 10% raise, plus an additional 2% increase for special education teachers. 

The OUSD board is also navigating a $100 million projected deficit for the next school year. In its regular meeting this Wednesday, the board will vote on a slate of layoffs that will impact hundreds of staff positions. The district would need to identify additional cuts to make up for raises for teachers.

If the union were to call a strike, it would have to give the public 48 hours notice. 

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