Teachers in Portland, Oregon, ended their weeks-long strike on Sunday after reaching a tentative deal with the city's public school district.
The strike had kept nearly 45,000 students out of their classes in the state's largest district for nearly a month. The union represents roughly 3,700 teachers and other school employees, and it was at odds with the district over salary, class sizes, and the amount of time educators had to plan, among other issues.
Oregon Teachers' Strike Ends
The tentative deal includes a 6.5% salary increase for employees in the contract's first year, followed by 4.5% and 3% raises in the following years. That amount is roughly in the middle of what the district had offered and what the union had asked for at the beginning of the strike.
Portland Public Schools repeatedly said that its budget was limited by state education funding, an assertion that state fiscal analysts at least partly supported. The district said it would have to find more than $100 million in cuts to afford the new contract, as per the New York Times.
Accounting for various holidays, including Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, and other days off, students would have missed 11 days of classes. The extended stoppage, which pressured many families and educators, was considered one of the longer teacher strikes in the past few years.
As part of the new agreement, Portland plans to shorten its winter break and extend the school year to compensate for missed classes. The situation comes as Portland Public Schools stayed remote longer than other districts during the coronavirus pandemic.
It returned to partial, in-person instruction in April 2021 and, like other districts across the United States, struggled with lower student attendance since the health crisis. Roughly 36% of students in the city were chronically absent last school year. This is defined as missing at least 10% of school days.
A New Tentative Deal
According to CBS News, the new agreement must still be voted on by teachers who have joined the picket line since Nov. 1. However, the union said they have agreed to let classes resume while the votes move forward.
In a statement, Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said they were relieved to have students finally return to school. He added that missing the last three weeks, including not seeing classmates and teachers and having time to learn, has been hard for everyone.
The teachers' union noted that the tentative deal, while still needing to be voted on, is a major victory for teachers and students alike. Portland Teachers Association President Angela Bonilla said the new contract is a watershed moment for the city's students, families, and educators.
Photographs the union posted on its Facebook page during the strike showed teachers sitting on the bridge, donning blue clothes and holding banners. They were calling for better pay and teaching conditions before going back to work, said Fox News.
