Teachers Picket at Alameda High School

Members of the Alameda Education Association, the local teachers' union, walked a picket line in front of Alameda High School before classes began this morning (Tuesday) to protest stalled contract talks with the Alameda Unified School District.

Teachers carried a variety of signs and handed out literature to parents and other passersby.

Gray Harris, head of the AEA, said the picket was "informational." She cited low pay and class size as among the items in dispute.

District teachers voted March 30 to reject a tentative contract agreement with the district. Negotiations are scheduled to resume soon.

In a email statement Tuesday afternoon, AUSD Superintendent Kirsten Vital said, "In terms of the leafleting today, it is important for us all to support the right to free speech as well as to appreciate the limits of those rights during school hours for adults working with students in schools. 

"Last fall at a meeting of the PTA Council PTA Presidents expressed concerns about some students being subjected to inappropriate political advocacy at school. We know that those incidents the PTA Presidents shared were isolated and did not represent the conduct of the vast majority of our excellent teachers.  We expect all will continue to act professionally and appropriately."

You may see video of the picketing on the KTVU Channel 2 website.