How We How We Got Got HereHere

OEA’s Long OEA’s Long Fight for Quality Fight for Quality Public Education Public Education and a Fair and a Fair Contract Contract

Produced by Craig GordonProduced by Craig Gordonwith additional photos by Mike Myslinksi, David Turner, Steve Neat, with additional photos by Mike Myslinksi, David Turner, Steve Neat, Memo DurginMemo Durgin

OEA OEA presentspresents

In 1995-96, Oakland teachers In 1995-96, Oakland teachers struck for fair compensation struck for fair compensation

and lower class size…and lower class size…

Though the Though the strike did not strike did not win a binding win a binding commitment commitment by the by the district to district to reduce class reduce class size locally…size locally…

……it helped it helped pave the pave the way only way only months later months later to funding to funding for class size for class size reduction reduction statewidestatewide..

In 2003 OEA continued leading the In 2003 OEA continued leading the way, beginning a campaign to make way, beginning a campaign to make corporations pay for public education corporations pay for public education

and other services.and other services.

Labor Day 2004Labor Day 2004

Oakland Chamber of Oakland Chamber of Commerce Commerce

11/4/0411/4/04

Oakland Tech Oakland Tech 12/5/0412/5/04

Sit-in in State Sit-in in State AdministratorAdministrator

’s Office’s Office3/1/053/1/05

“Woody” Carter, OUSD Chief of Staff

Students support sit-inStudents support sit-in

Town Hall Town Hall Meeting Meeting 3/8/053/8/05

Protest and Sit Down at State Protest and Sit Down at State BuildingBuilding3/15/053/15/05

Making ourselves Making ourselves comfortable…comfortable…

……and and others less others less

so.so.

Allendale Elementary School Allendale Elementary School BoycottBoycott4/8/054/8/05

Teachers Teachers Reject Reject

Tentative Tentative AgreemeAgreeme

ntnt

4/27/054/27/05

Work-to-Rule andWork-to-Rule andInformational Picketing around the Informational Picketing around the

District District

Fremont High 5/11/05Fremont High 5/11/05

High School Students Walk Out High School Students Walk Out 5/17/055/17/05

All District Unions MeetingAll District Unions Meeting6/8/056/8/05

Leafleting Downtown through Summer Leafleting Downtown through Summer 20052005

July 27 at Shorenstein PropertiesJuly 27 at Shorenstein Properties

Labor Day 2005 at Health Labor Day 2005 at Health NetNet

Jonathan Kozol Urges Oakland Teachers to “Fight on!”

9/24/05

Job Action Defending Elementary Job Action Defending Elementary Arts 10/26/05Arts 10/26/05

Protesting Protesting Biased Biased Tribune Tribune

CoverageCoverage(also 10/26/05)(also 10/26/05)

Protest Protest at School at School

Board Board 12/14/0512/14/05

AFSCME president reaffirms AFSCME president reaffirms commitment to support OEA’s commitment to support OEA’s

picket lines, if necessarypicket lines, if necessary

Supermarket Saturdays Begin Supermarket Saturdays Begin January 2006January 2006

from Rockridge…from Rockridge…

……to Eastmont to Eastmont Mall.Mall.

The Facts Are In!The Facts Are In!

Teachers Protest Scab Teachers Protest Scab RecruitmentRecruitment

1/23/061/23/06

Members Send Off Bargaining Members Send Off Bargaining Team to Renewed Negotiations Team to Renewed Negotiations

1/28/061/28/06

City Council Urges Bargaining City Council Urges Bargaining Based on Fact Finding ReportBased on Fact Finding Report

2/7/062/7/06

Back to the School BoardBack to the School Board2/8/062/8/06

Cluster Leafleting All Over Cluster Leafleting All Over TownTown

2/16/062/16/06Fruitvale and International Blvd.Fruitvale and International Blvd.

SEIU Joins OEA in Rejecting Health SEIU Joins OEA in Rejecting Health CapsCaps

2/13/062/13/06

OEA Makes Its OEA Makes Its Case, Wins Case, Wins Support at Support at

Public ForumPublic Forum3/6/063/6/06

……and back to the School Board and back to the School Board in large numbersin large numbers

3/8/063/8/06

Membership Strike Authorization Membership Strike Authorization MeetingMeeting3/22/063/22/06

330NO

10541054YES

April 5, 2006April 5, 2006March to State Offices… March to State Offices…

……and Kaiser Permanenteand Kaiser Permanente

4/19/20064/19/2006

Getting Getting Ready for Ready for the One-the One-Day, All-Day, All-Unions Unions OUSD OUSD StrikeStrike

4/19/20064/19/2006 All-unions rally at Oakland All-unions rally at Oakland

TechTech

4/20/ 20064/20/ 2006

The Strike That Wasn’t — The Strike That Wasn’t — Tentative Agreement ReachedTentative Agreement Reached

May 10, 2006May 10, 2006Tentative Agreement RatifiedTentative Agreement Ratified

October 11, 2006October 11, 2006

OEA Gives OEA Gives State State

AdministratioAdministration an “F”n an “F”

12/9/200612/9/2006OEA Organizes Conference OEA Organizes Conference

on Crisis in Educationon Crisis in Education

1/17/20091/17/2009

Latest Bargaining Cycle Latest Bargaining Cycle Begins:Begins:

OEA Sunshines Contract OEA Sunshines Contract ProposalProposal

Demanding pay equity and…Demanding pay equity and…

……class size class size reduction reduction and other and other conditions conditions necessary necessary for quality for quality education education

for all.for all.

May 19, 2007 May 19, 2007

Longshore workers, Longshore workers, teachers and others shut teachers and others shut

Port of Oakland down, Port of Oakland down, blocking war shipments, blocking war shipments, demanding $ for schools.demanding $ for schools.

April 4, 2008April 4, 2008

Rally at Rally at City City HallHall

May Day 2008May Day 2008School Site Leafleting and School Site Leafleting and

Teach-inTeach-in

June 13, 2008June 13, 2008

Freeway Freeway BannerinBannerin

gg

February 12, 2009February 12, 2009

Membership Meeting and Membership Meeting and RallyRally

March 11, 2009March 11, 2009

Protest State Administration Protest State Administration Rip-Off for Charters and Attack Rip-Off for Charters and Attack

on Adult Edon Adult Ed

March 24, 2009March 24, 2009

Paul Robeson High School Paul Robeson High School Parents, Students, and Parents, Students, and Staff Tell State Staff Tell State Administration: Administration: ““Don’t Close Our School”Don’t Close Our School”

… … but District closed Robeson, BEST, but District closed Robeson, BEST, Explore, and others while continuing Explore, and others while continuing to lead the state in the proportion of to lead the state in the proportion of charter schools approved.charter schools approved.

5/13/2009March around Lakefrom Health Net & Kaiser Offices…

……to the School Board/State to the School Board/State Administration MeetingAdministration Meeting

June 29, 2009June 29, 2009OEA Press Conference Opposing OEA Press Conference Opposing State Administrator’s Declaration State Administrator’s Declaration

of Impasse…of Impasse…

……just as the District regains “local just as the District regains “local control”control” (though the state trustee remains…)(though the state trustee remains…)

September 9, 2009September 9, 2009Masked OEA Members Dramatize Masked OEA Members Dramatize

District’s Failure to Recognize District’s Failure to Recognize TeachersTeachers

Sept. 24, 2009Sept. 24, 2009

UC Workers UC Workers and Students and Students Strike Strike Against Against Education Education Cuts Cuts StatewideStatewide

October 14, 2009October 14, 2009

Teachers Demand a Fair Teachers Demand a Fair Contract Now!Contract Now!

October 24, 2009October 24, 2009Conference at UC Berkeley Plans Conference at UC Berkeley Plans

Statewide Day of Strikes and Action Statewide Day of Strikes and Action to Defend Public Education to Defend Public Education

(on Mar. 4, 2010)(on Mar. 4, 2010)

Nov.-Dec. Nov.-Dec.

20092009 OEA OEA Cluster Cluster

MeetingsMeetings

Dec. 9, 2009Dec. 9, 2009

Teachers Rally in the Cold to Teachers Rally in the Cold to Demand a Fair ContractDemand a Fair Contract

Teachers Reach Out for Public SupportTeachers Reach Out for Public Support

January 12, 2010January 12, 2010Montera Middle SchoolMontera Middle School

January 20, 2010January 20, 2010OEA General Membership OEA General Membership

MeetingMeeting

Time (again) for Oakland’s Time (again) for Oakland’s teachers to decide and to teachers to decide and to act…act…

OEA members unanimously supported the Bargaining Team’s rejection of the district’s contract proposal

94% of members voting 94% of members voting authorized action up to a authorized action up to a one-day strike and one-day strike and another meeting to another meeting to consider further action. consider further action.

93% voted to 93% voted to support statewide support statewide actions on March 4.actions on March 4.