Oakland teachers stage a one-day strike against a no-raise contract.

Oakland California teachers walked the picket lines yesterday in a one day strike called by the union to protest a no-raise contract imposed on them by the Oakland school board. Oakland schools were officially open but sparsely attended. 90% of the teachers took part in the walkout.

SF Gate:

The Oakland Board of Education approved an interim contract April 21 that included no raises for teachers so the district could begin making decisions about how to cut $85 million from the budget – about a quarter of the district’s spending plan.

The two sides have been at impasse since June and worked with a mediator until December. Still, neither the district nor the 2,700 teachers in the union have given up hope of reaching an accord.

Late Tuesday, Smith requested a meeting with the union to restart bargaining, a move that took teachers by surprise.

The two sides have struggled to come to terms over wages, class size, case loads for school nurses and counselors, and staffing for adult education.

This is the first teachers strike since a 23-day walkout in 1996.

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