Oakland Teachers Strike For Better Pay, Many Students Stay Away From Class
OAKLAND — Teachers demanding better pay started a strike Thursday that’s expected to continue Friday and possibly longer, forming picket lines at dozens of Oakland public schools, which few students crossed to attend classes held by fill-in educators and administrators. Chants such as “That’s why we’re on strike today — public education is our right” and “Oakland is a union town — get up, get down” broke the early morning chill around Oakland before an estimated 3,000 people filled Frank Ogawa Plaza for an afternoon rally.