Posts tagged Oakland Education Association
Five Years after Janus, Government Unions Are Weaker — and More Desperate
July 5, 2023 // When SEIU HCII, which operates across four states, is removed from the picture, the overall public-sector-union membership in Illinois has decreased by over 10 percent. These declines are not isolated to a single entity but spread across all public employers, with teachers’ unions such as the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers losing a combined 9.4 percent of their members or fee-payers. AFSCME Council 31 — the union that represented Janus — has seen an 18.5 percent drop. A significant decrease in union membership is a sign that workers are exercising their Janus freedoms. It also means that $25 million didn’t flow into government-union coffers in 2022. This is a financial blow to a movement that’s accustomed to having huge cash reserves to fund the politicking that gets the union bosses exactly what they want. Such a dramatic shift illustrates how many government workers feel underrepresented by their unions, pushing them to distance themselves from groups now charging more and delivering less. Which points up another consequence of Janus: Government unions are in a fight for their lives. Desperation has made them even more polarizing, extreme, and political — and greedy.
Commentary: How the Teachers Union Broke Public Education
June 7, 2023 // School closures were not just an issue that impacted teachers, kids, and parents—this policy will have decadeslong ripple effects that will reverberate through every aspect of society. While savvy middle class and affluent families may opt for charter and private schools as a solution, the poorest and most vulnerable children, such as my former students, will remain trapped in a rotting system. The children who never catch up will grow into damaged, illiterate adults who cannot participate in the labor force and who are plagued by social dysfunction and decay. Ultimately, the union will achieve its vision of remaking the world—only it will be a broken, disfigured world that no one wants.
Teachers unions demand housing, transportation and other student supports during negotiations
May 26, 2023 // Teachers unions in school districts across the country are demanding improved salaries, benefits and class sizes when it’s time to renew their contracts. They are also leveraging negotiations to benefit school employees, students and their families. This process, known as bargaining in the common good, has been used to gain agreements on a host of items, such as housing assistance for low-income students, updating antiquated school facilities and increasing the number of psychologists, social workers and nurses on campuses.
Oakland teachers union on strike; schools open without them
May 5, 2023 // More than 3,000 teachers and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District are on strike after claiming the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract
Oakland teachers vote to authorize strike
April 27, 2023 // The union has demanded an initial 23% raise. It is also asking for more school counselors and social workers along with smaller class sizes. The district has proposed a 22% raise next year, with a one-time $3,000 payment to cover back pay. But union officials say that only applies to tenured teachers and not other staff. OUSD says its proposed package, "would mean teachers in Oakland will, for the first time in decades, be paid higher than the average salary for educators in our region." The district has been struggling with its finances and declining enrollment. It says there's simply not enough money to cover all of the union's demands.
Oakland teachers union opens vote on strike authorization
April 25, 2023 // There is general agreement that teachers are not paid enough. But at the offices of parent advocacy group The Oakland REACH, founder Lakisha Young said while she supports better salaries for educators, it should not be at the expense of the students. "Now we're being asked to sign on to an action that is disruptive to our children, just in support of teachers. And it's like, no, we can support teachers and not support a teacher strike," said Young. "It's what's been put on the table and maybe we need to create a new playbook behind this. Because this has become excessive." Another REACH member, Lupe Canchola, said, like a lot of parents, she will be hard-pressed to find a place for her child if the schools close. She said, in the past, she always supported the teachers' work actions.
Oakland Unified letter warns union about planned one-day strike
April 27, 2022 // Oakland Unified has warned its teachers union not to walk out of classes for a planned one-day strike this Friday, saying the walkout would have a harmful financial impact on the district and is a violation of the current contract,