Teachers in Portland, Oregon, walked off the job on Wednesday for the first day of a strike that will shutter schools for some 45,000 students in Oregon's largest city. Concerns over large class sizes, salaries that haven't kept up with inflation and a lack of resources prompted the strike, one of the latest signs of a growing organized labor movement in the U.S. that's seen thousands of workers in various sectors take to the picket lines this year.
The annual base salary in the district starts at roughly $50,000. “I've seen many people quit within their first five years,” he said. “At the end of the day, we need teachers.” Nearly two weeks ago, the union announced that 99% of teachers voted in favor of the labor action, with 93% of its members participating in the ballot. After the union voted to authorize the strike, the district said it wanted to reach a fair settlement.