Behind the Portland teachers’ strike

*Mugatu voice* Labor strikes are so hot right now. The latest walkout occurred yesterday in Portland, Oregon, as roughly 4,000 teachers, school counselors, and other employees went on strike, closing all schools in the state’s largest district.

The sticking points: Teachers are asking for higher wages, more time to plan lessons, and a cap on class sizes, among other things (most are common asks present in other teacher’s strikes this year). Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland teachers union, described crowded classrooms where there aren’t enough desks, teachers working up to 20 hours/week unpaid to keep up with workloads, and schools overwhelmed by students’ mental health challenges.

• The union is asking for a cumulative 23% cost-of-living increase over three years. The average salary for a Portland teacher is ~$79,000, right around the area’s median income for a single person and below the median for a family of four.
• The district, which encompasses roughly 45,000 students, has offered cost-of-living adjustments that would boost teacher salaries by ~11% over the next three years, according to The Oregonian.

👀 Looking ahead… It may be hard for teachers to secure many more immediate concessions without the district having to make cuts in the years ahead, since state funding hasn’t kept up with inflation and a state law limits the district’s ability to raise taxes on residents. All Portland schools will remain closed at least through the weekend.