OEA Bargaining Update
November 17, 2014
On Monday, November 17, 2014, the OEA and OUSD bargaining teams met. Your OEA team presented OUSD with counter proposals in response to the package of proposals received on 11/06/14. Where the District moved towards our positions, we responded with counter proposals. Where they did not move, we did not move.
This is how the collective bargaining process works:
Your OEA Bargaining Team reached out to members to learn what supports/conditions were needed to improve student social-emotional and academic outcomes, the members' professional development needs, and what will attract and retain career educators in Oakland. We crafted our Sunshine (initial) Proposal with your feedback as a guide. While our proposals are not an exhaustive list of changes that should be made to current contract language, we felt that we were communicating many changes that would improve teaching and learning in Oakland schools. We also kept in mind that all components of our initial proposal may not be won because of financial and legislative constraints.
Through your efforts and those of our supporters in the community, the district has agreed to accelerate class size reduction in grades TK-3, improved its salary offer (which still not fully adequate), and actually put money behind their proposal to increase the work day for teachers minimum days, which represents a significant improvement to where they were six months ago.
The district will have received over $50Mil in unrestricted monies over the course of 2013-2016. While we think there are still more financial resources than they have put on the table, we must keep in mind that there is still not enough to cover the costs of everything we have asked them to do. However, with your continued support, we can win further gains for Oakland's students and schools.
Please follow the link below to read a summary of OEA's and OUSD's most recent proposals. Your OEA Bargaining team's proposal is in bold.
