Oakland teachers union on strike; district says schools open

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Teachers in the Oakland Unified School District planned to go on strike Thursday after saying the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract.

Schools would remain open for the roughly 34,000 students enrolled in the San Francisco Bay Area district, administrators said.

The teachers union, the Oakland Education Association, called a strike late Wednesday.

“The district failed to come to the table in good faith, so Oakland educators will be on the picket line tomorrow,” the union said in a social media post. “We will continue to negotiate in good faith, and hope the district does the same.”

Earlier, the district had expressed optimism in a Facebook post.

“After six full days and nights of contract negotiations with the Oakland Education Association (OEA), we believe that a deal with our Teachers’ Union is within reach,” it said.

The district announced in a press release that all schools will remain open and school-provided meals will be served, the East Bay Times reported.

Teachers previously held a one-day strike against the Oakland district on April 29, 2022.

A district advisory to news media said there would be no one available to comment ahead of a 10:30 a.m. news conference.