On Sunday, March 3rd, members of Oakland Educators Association (OEA) voted to approve a contract that gets teachers on the path to better raises and smaller class sizes. The contract ratification ended a 7-day strike that united the community.

Teachers, classified workers, and students continue to speak out against the District’s cuts to programs and staff. Hundreds of students, joined by community allies, filled the Board meeting on March 4th.

“Charter schools are draining more than $57 million a year from our public schools and communities. The school district is draining school funding with the over-use of contractors,” testified Melvin Willis, a school security officer and Vice President of the SEIU 1021 Oakland Unified chapter before the packed Board meeting, “Let’s tackle these issues. There are options before the Board that would prioritize students and our public school system. There is no need to balance the budget on the backs of students or its lowest paid workers of this school district. It’s shameful, and it’s unnecessary.”

Teachers, classified workers, and students continue to speak out against the District’s cuts to programs and staff. Hundreds of students, joined by community allies, filled the Board meeting on March 4th. 

“We know this is just the first step in ensuring that our students get the quality, public education they all deserve,” said Keith Brown, OEA President.

“Classified workers—from the foster youth case managers, library techs, early childhood educators, admin staff to school security officers— are a vital part of our school community,” he continued. “They are key to our students’ success and the well-being of our schools. Stop the cuts to these important positions to ensure we can continue to provide safe, supportive student services.

SEIU 1021 represents more than 1,000 classified workers at OUSD, who engaged in a sympathy strike with teachers. Classified workers are currently in contract negotiations with the school district, advocating for students to have the support system they need to thrive in our schools.