California Teachers’ Union Takes Bold Step Towards Strikes Amid Ongoing Disputes

California is bracing for another wave of disruption as a prominent teachers’ union prepares to strike, following on the heels of last week’s San Francisco protests that paralyzed the city.

The Oakland Unified School District is poised to join the protest, with teachers voting last week in favor of a walkout. The overwhelming support signals a strong intent to strike as early as next week.

The teachers’ association revealed that 91% of its members who voted supported the strike, highlighting grievances over stagnant wages and challenging classroom environments.

This development follows closely after San Francisco reached a $183 million agreement with its educators, concluding a week-long halt to classes and foreshadowing significant job cuts.

Oakland union leaders argue that their teachers are among the lowest compensated in the Bay Area, and they are committed to securing a contract that ensures “safe, stable, racially-just schools.”

At the center of the dispute is money — and whether the district has any left to give.

A recent report found the district lost $9.4 million in state funding in the 2024–25 fiscal year due to declining enrollment and warned it is teetering near insolvency.

Officials argue even modest raises would strain reserves required to keep the district solvent, estimating a 1% salary bump could cost as much as $5 million.

The union initially pushed for a 14% pay hike before lowering its ask to 12%. A state-appointed panel deemed the higher figure unrealistic but suggested a 9% to 10% increase over two years.

The panel also criticized the district’s reliance on outside consultants, noting more than $316,000 was paid to a single contractor last year.

District leaders insist they are seeking a compromise that rewards educators while keeping the system afloat. Neither side is bound to adopt the panel’s recommendations.

If union leaders pull the trigger, a strike could begin as soon as midweek.

The Oakland showdown comes on the heels of the historic walkout in San Francisco, where educators with the United Educators of San Francisco went on strike for the first time in 50 years.

That strike shuttered all 120 campuses in the San Francisco Unified School District, leaving roughly 50,000 students out of class as teachers demanded a 9% raise and fully funded family health benefits.

District officials there argued they were grappling with a roughly $100 million deficit and could not meet the union’s salary demands — a financial standoff that mirrors the tensions now boiling over in Oakland.

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