Mass Solidarity Meeting for Public Education

Mass Solidarity Meeting for Public Education

WHEN:
December 15th, 11 am - 1 pm

WHERE:
Omni Commons
4799 Shattuck, Oakland, California

WHAT:
On Dec 15, 11am-1pm at Omni Commons, California Educators Rising calls on educator union members and community allies to gather for a public meeting to support OEA, UTLA, and the fight for public education in California. On the same day, thousands will gather in downtown Los Angeles to support UTLA in their fight for: smaller class sizes, more nurses, counselors, psychologists, and librarians, less testing, more teaching, community schools, competitive wages, regulation of charter schools, and greater investment in adult ed, early ed, and bilingual ed.

AT 11:45, attendees will wear red and take a mass solidarity photo to send to their marching siblings in Los Angeles; attendees will make signs and images of solidarity. Speakers will share connections between the different local union struggles statewide.

Background:
California has the 5th largest economy in the world and is the wealthiest in the nation but ranks only 48th in class size and 43rd in per-pupil funding. In terms of relative economic opportunity, California is 48th in cost of living and 49th in housing affordability.
Both United Teachers of Los Angeles and Oakland Education Association are fighting to improve student learning conditions that are their working conditions, for fair wages for educators and support staff, to decrease class size and caseload reductions, and support community schools, all made possible through increased funding that our students and schools deserve.

We are building towards coordinated local, regional, and statewide actions to fight for progressive and fully funded schools in all of California's 1,050 districts; to defend public education against privatization and the further erosion of union sector jobs which fight to preserve decent working conditions for their workers, and to connect with struggles for social, racial, and economic justice so our students and communities can thrive.

WHO:
Organized by:
California Educators Rising

Endorsed by (partial list):
Organizations and Locals:
California Educators Rising
Oakland Education Association (OEA)
United Teachers of Richmond (UTR)
UC-AFT Local 1474
Women's March SF
East Bay Democratic Socialists of America
La Voz de los Trabajadores
International Socialist Organization
Left Party

Individuals:
Sayuri Sakamoto, Executive Board member, Oakland Education Association (OEA)*
Deirdre Snyder, Treasurer, OEA*
Craig Gordon, site rep, OEA*
Coriander Melious, OEA*
Estefana Ramos, OEA*
Susan Keen, site rep, OEA*
Gillian Russom, UTLA Board of Directors East Area Rep*
Demetrio Gonazalez, President, United Teachers of Richmond*
Kathryn Lybarger, President, AFSCME 3299*
Nicole Grashton, site and state representative, San Lorenzo Educators Association*
Laura Nielson, member, Alameda Educators Association*
Josh Austin, site rep, Berkeley Federation of Teachers *
Ariela Rothstein, site rep, United Educators of San Francisco *
Joel Jordan, former UTLA Director of Special Projects
Casey Carlson, President, Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers 2030*
Jennifer Shanoski, President, Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT 1603*
*for identification purposes only