Oakland teachers plan one-day strike on May 1, claim unfair labor conditions
Parents and students in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) are once again bracing for disruption, as teachers voted to authorize a one-day strike scheduled for May 1.
Thursday's strike, which falls on International Workers' Day, is being held in protest of what the Oakland Education Association (OEA) describes as "unfair labor practices" by the district.
The OEA, which represents approximately 3,000 public school educators, announced the walkout over the weekend, citing the district's failure to provide required financial information related to recent budget cuts and layoffs.
OUSD has been grappling with a multi-million-dollar deficit and in March, issued around 100 layoff notices.
"The District has a legal obligation to provide this information, which is needed to enable educators to understand how proposals would affect teachers, District and classroom stability, and the community we serve," the union said in a statement released Sunday.
Thursday's work stoppage will mark the fourth teacher strike in six years. Teachers held a seven-day strike in 2023, a one-day strike in 2022 and a seven-day strike in 2019.
While the looming strike presents another logistical challenge for families, many parents said they stand firmly behind Oakland educators.
"OUSD should be ashamed of creating a school environment where kids can't count on school taking place. My kids are 6th grader and 9th grader now," said parent Rachel Kinnon. "They don't believe that school will be there for them, from one week to the next because you never know when there's going to be a strike."
Kinnon, like others, expressed frustration with the instability of the school calendar.
"We need to be able to count on the schools to be open on school days so that we know where our kids are, and we don't need to interrupt our jobs. We don't need to change our lives around when our kids should be at school learning," she told CBS News Bay Area.
Despite the inconvenience, Kinnon said she remains committed to supporting educators.
"Luckily, my kids are old enough that I can keep them home. I would never cross a strike. I support the teachers," she said. "When they were in elementary school and the strike went on for days and days, that was really hard. It's almost an impossible thing to put a family through."
Another OUSD parent, Jme McLean, said she trusts the educators' judgment.
"I'm not as caught up in all of the details, but I do trust our teachers, and know that if they're considering doing something as drastic as this, that it is important and something that we should all pay attention to," McLean said.
However, not everyone agrees with the union's stance. District 4 School Board Director Mike Hutchinson said he is confused by the strike announcement, arguing that all relevant financial documents have already been made available.
"All of our budget documents are public information. They are publicly posted on our district website, as required by law. And so, I would just point out that there's been very general claims made and nobody has been able to say specifically what document they have not been given," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson also expressed frustration over the lack of communication in the days leading up to the planned strike.
"It is offensive that we are four days away from a strike and there's been no communication about anything. So, what's supposed to happen on Thursday?" he asked.
Amid the conflict, the OUSD school board has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday night in an effort to work with the union and avoid the strike.
Some parents, including Kinnon, said the district's ongoing instability may push families to leave the school system altogether.
"OUSD is shooting itself in the foot. They're doing all this stuff that's breaking trust and breaking any support that they might have had with families," she said.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to Oakland Unified on Sunday for comment regarding its preparations should the strike move forward, but the district has yet to respond.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland school board appoints interim superintendent
The Oakland school board has voted to appoint a veteran educator and former president of the teacher's union to interim superintendent, the district announced Friday. Denise Saddler will serve as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year starting July 1, the district said. The school board will vote to approve Saddler's finalized employment contract at an upcoming board meeting. 'We thank our community for its continued engagement throughout this process and look forward to officially welcoming Dr. Saddler once the contract is finalized. Together, we remain committed to providing every OUSD student with the thriving schools they deserve,' the district said Friday in a statement. The appointment of Saddler to interim superintendent comes a day after the former longtime superintendent, Kyla Johnson-Trammell, gave her final remarks at a news conference Thursday. The union-backed school board majority ousted Johnson-Trammell in April, eight months after extending her contract through June 2027. Saddler, the interim superintendent, has more than 40 years of education experience under her belt, including as a teacher and administrator for the district, officials said. She has previously served as principal of Chabot Elementary and oversaw 15 schools in North and West Oakland as the district's former network executive officer. From 2013 to 2015, Saddler served as assistant superintendent for education services for the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also served as president of the Oakland Education Association, which represents the district's 3,000 teachers, counselors, aides and other educators, for six years, the district said.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Pedestrian killed in crash following Oakland CHP chase identified as beloved Castlemont HS teacher
A pedestrian killed by an out-of-control vehicle being chased by officers in Oakland Wednesday was identified as Marvin Boomer, a teacher at Castlemont High School. The Oakland Unified School District on Friday confirmed Boomer was the person killed when a vehicle being pursued by the California Highway Patrol crashed into him while he walked with a companion at 12th Avenue and East 21st Street early Wednesday evening in the city's Clinton neighborhood. His companion suffered minor injuries. Marvin Boomer Oakland Unified School District The district issued the following statement Friday, the day it was holding its graduation ceremony at noon at the city's Paramount Theatre. "Castlemont High School and Oakland Unified School District are in mourning after the shocking loss of a beloved member of the school community. Dr. Marvin Boomer was a pedestrian who died after a tragic car crash on Wednesday, just one day before the end of school. Dr. Boomer was a beloved and vital member of the Castlemont family, having served the past eight years, first as a math teacher then as a College and Career Pathways Coach. His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on students and fellow educators. "We extend our deepest condolences to everyone impacted by this loss. Dr. Boomer was more than a teacher—he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of strength and inspiration in the halls of Castlemont. His legacy will live on in the school community and in the countless lives he helped shape. "Today, the seniors he worked so closely with will walk the stage and receive their diplomas at Castlemont's Commencement Exercise. School staff, families, and the District will celebrate our students' accomplishments with love and excitement just as Dr. Boomer always did, while still holding Dr. Boomer and his family in our hearts." First responders at the scene of a fatal crash of a vehicle into pedestrians near the corner of 12th Avenue and East 21st Street in Oakland, May 29, 2025. KPIX / Stringer The CHP said the pursuit of the vehicle had ended just seconds before the crash. Following the crash, the driver ran from the scene but was quickly caught and arrested. He was identified as 18-year-old Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia of Oakland. Officers were pursuing his vehicle because it was wanted in connection with a felony evading incident involving the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, the CHP said. A vigil for Boomer was being organized for Friday evening at the site of the fatal crash. The deadly collision happened just days after Oakland's police chief called for more authority to chase violent suspects. The current policy requires officers to end a chase if speeds reach 50 miles per hour, unless approved by a commander.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Teacher at Oakland's Castlemont High identified as innocent bystander killed after CHP chase
OAKLAND, Calif. - The innocent pedestrian bystander, killed during Wednesday's California Highway Patrol chase of a suspect vehicle in Oakland, has been identified as a Castlemont High School teacher. What we know An Oakland Unified School District board member confirmed the man killed was a teacher at the school. In a letter obtained by KTVU, Castlemont High's principal, Joseph Blasher, addresses the community, sharing the tragic news. In part, the letter reads, "Dr. Marvin Boomer tragically passed away last night. Dr. Boomer was a beloved and vital member of the Castlemont family, having served as a math teacher and pathway coach for the past eight years. His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues." Blasher goes on to acknowledge that Thursday was the last day of school for students and Friday is graduation, but despite their commitment to focusing on the students, there is a profound sense of loss. "Dr. Boomer's absence will impact all of us," the letter reads. The principal has set aside Monday, June 2, to offer space for the community to grieve and honor Dr. Boomer. Blasher said details are forthcoming and Boomer's family will be consulted on those plans. "Dr. Boomer was more than a teacher – he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of strength and inspiration in our halls," Blasher's letter reads. "His legacy will live on in us and in the countless lives he helped shape long after this tragedy." A second version of the letter obtained includes information on emotional support available for the Oakland Unified School District community. Meanwhile, Anti Police-Terror Project, a grassroots group that is critical of law enforcement, posted information for a candlelight vigil in Boomer's honor. That vigil will be held on Friday at 6 p.m. at 12th Avenue and East 21st Street in Oakland. The flyer for the event reads, "An educator, artist, and entrepreneur killed last night by a reckless CHP pursuit." APTP's post on social media said "Bring candles. Community will be speaking out." The backstory We have reported that an innocent bystander pedestrian was killed and at least two others were injured following the CHP pursuit in Oakland on Wednesday. At around 7:45 p.m., CHP was pursuing a car at East 21st Street and Park Boulevard. But the suspect, driving a stolen Infiniti G35, crashed into a woman driving a minivan. That's when CHP called off the chase. However, the suspected stolen car was monitored from above by a CHP plane. Police said the car continued to drive recklessly and crashed at East 21st Street and 12th Avenue without any officers behind him. However, in that crash, a man and a woman, both in their 40s, were struck on the sidewalk by the suspect vehicle. An 18-year-old suspect driver, Eric Hernandez Garcia, was arrested by CHP officers who chased him down. While the woman who was struck was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive, the man, later identified by school officials as Boomer, was pronounced dead at the scene. "Was it worth it to catch that car thief? I don't think so. I think that's just horrible," said Michael Eastwood, who lives at the corner where the man died. He said he's concerned Gov. Gavin Newsom wants Oakland police to relax their pursuit policies so that officers can chase under more circumstances. "Sounds like they want Oakland to do the same thing their CHP officers did last night that resulted in the death of this man," Eastwood said. The California Highway Patrol has looser rules on chasing suspects than Oakland police do. KTVU spoke to a man who said his wife and a friend were in the minivan that was struck in the first crash. William Duarte said his wife suffered injuries to her leg and neck, and she told him that she heard sirens at the time, indicating the pursuit was active. He said he was frustrated his wife was hurt and that an innocent person had died. Many in law enforcement, including the governor, say officers need as many tools as they can to go after people who commit crimes. Recently, the Oakland police chief asked the police commission to loosen one particular aspect of city chase rules, where an officer would no longer have to request permission from a supervisor to drive faster than 50 mph. Earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Oakland police can be held responsible when bystanders are injured, or killed, during reckless pursuits. Oakland City Councilmember Charlene Wang said the city is still working to refine its pursuit policy. "We have to be thoughtful, and that's probably why we did have a police chase policy in part, because there have been innocent bystanders that have been killed," Wang said.
