PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After hundreds of teachers from Greater Albany Public Schools went on strike Tuesday morning, the teachers' union and the district are now set to continue mediations into the weekend.
Teachers and the district tried to reach an agreement over the past nine months with mediation even going into the early morning hours on Tuesday before falling apart.
According to the Greater Albany Education Association (GAEA), 600 teachers started striking outside 21 schools across the district. This marked the first strike in that district since 1987.
The strike follows nine months of negotiations in which the teachers asked for better pay, school safety, caps on class sizes and more.
The school’s latest proposal included raises for experienced teachers and a 5% cost of living increase, but the union called out the district for ignoring basic needs, like updating bathroom break coverage.
After the strike began, the various picket lines came together Tuesday afternoon for a rally. As a a result, classes at all Greater Albany Public Schools were canceled for the rest of the week.
Wednesday, both the teachers union and the district were back at the bargaining table. However, the union claimed in a statement that the district had "refused to make a single proposal, counter, or agreement themselves for the entire 14 hours."
This prompted a march across downtown Albany early Thursday afternoon, which included hundreds of teachers, parents and students, ending in a rally outside the district office.
Once again, both parties returned to the bargaining table on Friday, and according to the district, they "appreciate[d] GAEA's movement and progress toward an agreement."
The district and teachers' union will work toward a contract settlement throughout the weekend on agenda items including class sizes, prep time, as well as cost of living adjustment.
As a result, there will also be no school in session on Monday.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
