Oakland Teachers Vote

Oakland teachers are voting on their contract today, and there is some uncertainty about the outcome. The Oakland district is lobbying teachers to approve the contract while the union has declined to take a stand for or against the deal.

When UESF voted on their proposed contract there was no doubt about the outcome. The union was solidly behind the deal and there was little organized dissent.

Details of the proposed contract are only known through unconfirmed leaks, so it is hard to pinpoint why this agreement is so controversial. According to the SJMerc there will be a %6.5 raise over two years. But Oakland teachers endured a recent 4% pay cut, and they will be expected to pay more of their health benefits. A report in The Berkeley Daily Planet suggest the precedent for sharing health care premiums may be the controversial part. Other districts have passed increasingly burdensome health costs onto their teachers, so this could be a big deal for future negotiations.

And we thought the UESF negotiations were stressful...