Teachers in Portland, Oregon went on strike Wednesday, leaving some 45,000 students in the district to be without schooling.
The strike is being led by Portland Association of Teachers, which claims to be the largest union of educators in Oregon, representing some 4,000 teachers and affecting 81 schools.
“After months of planning, negotiating, and fighting for the contract we and Portland students deserve, it is time for us to take the next step,” the union wrote on its X page. “We are on strike until district leaders make real investments in Portland students and schools.”
After months of planning, negotiating, and fighting for the contract we and Portland students deserve, it is time for us to take the next step.
We are on strike until district leaders make real investments in Portland students and schools. #GreatPublicSchoolsForAll pic.twitter.com/EcksXUxnqW
— pdxteachers (@pdxteachers) November 1, 2023
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This is reportedly the first time the union has gone on strike. The union claims that parents are on their side.
The union said students “deserve modern classrooms and culturally relevant curriculum” that prepares them for an “increasingly diverse” world.
The union’s demands include increased funding for more classes and special education services, cleaner and more secure buildings, meaningful “assessment” of teachers, “professional care” and mental health resources for struggling individuals (unclear if this refers to students or staff), enough staff members to ensure small class sizes, and more time for teachers to prepare their lessons.
The union also demands professional development courses in “critical topics like racial equity and implicit bias” for teachers. It also asks for higher salaries and benefits.
The union called for picketing at all school buildings in the District where bargaining members are, every morning of the week. It will also be holding rallies from noon until two in the afternoon each day.
The school district offered teachers a 10.9 percent cost-of-living increase over three years, while the union asked for a cumulative 23 percent cost-of-living increase.
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