Every Saturday in Oakland is "supermarket Saturday," where Oakland Education Association union members and allies go out to major supermarkets in Oakland and spend the day handing out information about their contract. Oakland's teachers have been working for more than a year and a half without a contract. 30% of Oakland's teachers leave the school system every year. This is seen as one of the most significant factors that lead to a destabilized learning environment that drives 73 of 100 African American students out of the Oakland schools before graduation.

The OEA and the district left the negotiating table on January 31st. The OEA could hold a strike vote at its February 21st members meeting if the school district has not offered what the union considers a fair contract with salary increases (in addition to restoration of the 4% of their pay that was cut in 2004) for the teachers. No new talks are currently scheduled, but the teachers have indicated that they do not want to strike. The school district is advertising on Craig's List to try to find replacement teachers (scabs) in the event that the teachers do strike. An OEA official reportedly said, "It would be an unsafe position for parents to send their kids to school in the event of strike." The district replied that it would be safer for kids to be in school where they would be "supervised," although it is unclear how many strikebreakers the district can find to work. 2/1 Report from OUSD's Scab Hiring Hall

Indybay's 1/27 Story About the OEA | OEA website | Oakland Unified School District