The ball is in Dr. Ward's court. This is Oakland. He's going to see how tough we are.
The fact that he called me personally is a good sign. But we will not be rushed into a settlement...It's a fluid situation.
We need a fair contract. Teachers feel totally disrespected. A lot of the vote was against the disrespect that's ongoing.
They can manipulate their figures to boost their argument at the bargaining table. The way Ward is acting, he's looking for a showdown.
We are drafting the (contract) language now, and it wouldn't serve either party well to discuss it.
There's a possibility of a joint San Francisco-Oakland strike. We hope it doesn't happen, but that is a possibility. Both unions would be stronger if we go on strike together.
We've made all the concessions we feel we've been able to make.
We're concerned that due to the late settlement that not enough teachers might be there. Our joint goal is to protect the safety and health of the students.
