Hundreds gather for rally ahead of looming Albany teacher strike

ALBANY Ore. (KPTV) - Teachers in Albany are preparing for the possibility of hitting the picket line on Tuesday. The Greater Albany Education Association (GAEA) met with the district officials from Greater Albany Public Schools (GAPS) on Saturday for a day of negotiations. Hundreds of community members gathered for a rally outside district offices to cheer them on. It was a large crowd that union president, Dana Lovejoy said should speak volumes.

"I was overcome with emotion when I stepped out. The support, it's unbelievable," Lovejoy said. "We felt like maybe this was just our fight, and then coming out here and being reminded of the support that we have from our community, it's pretty powerful. It gives us a lot of strength to go back in and keep fighting this fight."

It's a fight GAEA said they've been in for more than 9 months. After what the union calls 'stalled negotiations,' they voted to authorize a strike that will kick off on Tuesday if an agreement on a new contract is not met before then.

"It's important that our schools have the resources they need to serve the students that are in them. We currently have students with unmet needs, and we're trying to get a contract that will serve every student who walks through our door," Lovejoy explained.

The union president said the biggest item at stake in the contracts is student safety.

"Our number one priority from the beginning has been safety. I know that's a big umbrella. It includes, how do we support students in the front? How do we support them if they're in an episode, how do we support them after? And part of those supports include class size and having enough staff to serve the students," Lovejoy said.

In response to Saturday's rally, Greater Albany Public Schools provided the following statement.

"We want to recognize that we have truly great teachers here at GAPS and appreciate the work they do for our students. We have been actively negotiating in good faith with the union to reach an agreement that supports our teachers and honors our community's resources. While we are disappointed that a strike is being pursued, the District remains at the table, ready to work toward a solution that allows our students to continue learning in a stable environment. Our priority is ensuring a quick return to normalcy for our students, and we will continue making every effort to reach an agreement that keeps our schools open." -Greater Albany Public Schools

Parents and students also attended the rally to show their support, including Peter Epp who has two kids in the district.

"We're here because we want our teachers to know how trusted they are, how valued they are and we want to encourage our teachers to as they ask for what they need. And we want to encourage our board and superintendent to better reflect how much we value our teachers," Epp said.

If an agreement between the district and union is not met before Tuesday, some 600 educators are expected to hit the picket line. Another negotiation session is scheduled for Monday.