Teachers' strikes are rare in California. Why are so many happening now?

[Omaha Steve]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/teachers-strikes-are-rare-in-california-why-are-so-many-happening-now/ar-AA1XU6Yl

Story by Jill Tucker • 14h

Dublin educators took to the picket lines Monday, the East Bay district joining a growing list of California districts to see contract talks dissolve into a teachers strike in recent months, a trend that has parents and politicians on edge up and down the state.

School remained open in Dublin as teachers demanded increased pay and full family health care. District officials said the ask was "far beyond" what city schools can afford, leaving the open-ended strike at a stand-off on its first day.

The walkout followed a four-day teachers strike in San Francisco in February and a four-day strike in West Contra Costa in December while coinciding with the third day of a strike in Twin Rivers Unified in Sacramento County. Oakland, San Diego and Woodland are among a handful of districts that narrowly avoided the fate.

Other districts are on the brink, including Sacramento County's Natomas Unified, where teachers vow to start picketing Tuesday unless a deal is reached, while Los Angeles and Berkeley have authorized strikes even as negotiations continue.

FULL story at link above.

[kimbutgar]

1. Teachers put up with a lot of bad behaviors from kids no support from parents and what they're getting paid is peanuts.

[msongs]

2. kids spend their class time on phones and threating adults. who wants to be a public school teacher when private

and charter schools can keep out trouble makers or extra needs kids that public schools are required to take

[AndrewFoster]

3. Teachers' strikes are rare in California. Why are so many happening now?

It seems like a mix of factors—mainly pay, rising living costs, and benefits negotiations. In many parts of California, housing and healthcare costs have gone up faster than teacher salaries, so contract talks are getting tougher. At the same time, districts say their budgets are tight, which makes reaching agreements harder and sometimes leads to strikes.