As negotiators for the Camas teachers’ union and the Camas School District sit down at the bargaining table this week, we’ve been mulling over the history of union membership in this country and feeling inspired by the recent eruption of union activism that goes past simply securing higher wages and better benefits for union members, but fights for “common good” clauses that seek to benefit the entire community.
Take, for instance, the May 2023 teachers’ strike in Oakland, California, where teachers fought not only for less demanding schedules and better salaries, but also for things like securing housing vouchers for homeless families in the district, repairs for classroom HVAC systems, climate change actions and the formation of a task force to look into reparations for Black students and their families.