'I'm in it, until the end' Oakland teacher strike moves into sixth day
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Day six of the Oakland teacher strike arrived without any end in sight, a fact that's weighing on the 3,000 teachers out on the picket lines.
"I'm overwhelmed, frustrated, sad," said Marjorie Lee, who teaches at Martin Luther King Elementary School. "I miss my kids."
RELATED: Bay Area teachers hold sickout to support striking Oakland teachers
Now that their strike is nearly a week old, some Oakland teachers like Lee are beginning to realize, this may not be over anytime soon.
"We're here at the rally supporting one another, but we're kind of ready for it to end," said Lee as she stood among hundreds of other teachers at a rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza, "but I'm in it-- until it ends."
Some may be getting weary, but there's no wavering it seems in their energy and commitment to the cause.
OAKLAND TEACHER STRIKE: Resources for parents here
"I expected a hard fight and I think we're ready to fight and be here until we win and see the results that we need," said teacher Shula Bien.
The rally at Oakland City Hall became a march as hundreds walked to the Elihu Harris State Office Building, where negotiations are ongoing between the Oakland Education Association and the Oakland Unified School District.
"Certainly, the fact that we're talking in the wee hours of the night. That's encouraging," said OUSD spokesman John Sasaki. "So we're hopeful."
The teachers want a 12 percent raise over three years. The district is offering a two-percent bonus, plus eight-percent over four years.
On this day, the Oakland teachers were joined by educators from other districts as part of a sick out, including from Albany, San Lorenzo and San Francisco.
"It's a matter of showing solidarity for the same cause," said Sanae Ortiz, a teacher from San Francisco. "It's important for us and it's important for all the students."
On Wednesday, pickets successfully prevented a school board meeting at La Escuelita Elementary School. That meeting has now been rescheduled for Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Check out more stories and video about the Oakland teacher strike.
