OUSD Classified workers including 1,000 instructional specialists, school security officers, administrative workers and other workers honored picket lines in support of striking teachers.

Bettie Reed Smith, President of the SEIU 1021 OUSD Chapter, and Instructional Assistant at Markahm Elementary, released the following statement:

We are on a sympathy strike with the teachers because their fight is our fight. We are all deeply invested in the care of our kids. We stand united with our brothers and sisters who teach in our schools, and with so many others — nonprofit workers, workers from our cities and counties, community workers — in honoring the picket lines. That is because we recognize this is not just the teachers’ fight, it’s a community fight. This is a fight for our children’s future.

We are fighting for our children and the world of opportunities we want to make available for each one of them. All children, from the flatlands to the Oakland hills, deserve a quality education. We cannot provide that when our classrooms are understaffed, when our libraries are closed, and when our children do not have the support they need to succeed.

That’s why teachers, school workers, and families are making this sacrifice. We will not stop fighting until Oakland Unified does right by our entire school community.

If you are an OUSD classified worker and have questions about your right to sympathy strike, visit our FAQ.