Oakland Teachers Plan Labor Day Rally

KAISER & HEALTH NET: STEP UP!
YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP SOLVE THE EDUCATION
CRISIS IN OAKLAND
Freeze Charges to Protect Programs and School Workers’
Health

Monday, September 5 at 11 AM
Assemble at Health Net Offices 155 Grand near Webster
St., 1 block west of Lake Merritt
March to Kaiser Regional Headquarters
Leaflet at Art and Soul Festival Downtown, Frank Ogawa
Plaza and City Center

Over the past three years, your charges to the Oakland
Unified School District have risen 50-60%. These
skyrocketing charges have helped create the fiscal
crisis in the District which led to the State
takeover.

Now you propose to raise your rates to OUSD 6-8% for
the coming year and up to 14-16% the year following.

These costs have led State Administrator Randy Ward to
pit library, music, art, computer and sports programs
for Oakland's young against health care for OUSD
staff. He insists either on cutting programs for our
students or forcing teachers and other school district
workers to pay more and more out of pocket for health.
Either one will sharply worsen the already precarious
quality of education in Oakland. Students will lose by
elimination of programs or by the exodus of
experienced teachers who, having already taken a 4%
pay cut, simply can't afford to pay more for health
care. It will make recruiting new teachers even more
difficult.

The OEA calls on you to do the right thing:
Freeze your charges to OUSD at the 2004-05 level for
the life of the new contract.

Health Net: You have the money. Your profits just
reported for the second quarter topped $53 million, up
29% over the same quarter last year. Your quarterly
revenue went up, too, reaching $3 billion! Three
billion dollars in three months!

Kaiser: reduce or defer your expansion plans for a
brief period. You can help stabilize the Oakland
school workforce and thereby improve the quality of
education. Your many studies have demonstrated the
relationship between a happy, sound family and school
life with young people's physical, emotional and
mental health. Carry through on that knowledge: help
preserve Oakland public education now.
Join the Labor Day Rally to Demand HMOs Step Up
Monday, September 5 at 11 AM
Assemble at Health Net Offices 155 Grand near Webster
St., 1 block west of Lake Merritt
March to Kaiser Regional Headquarters
Leaflet at Art and Soul Festival Downtown, Frank Ogawa
Plaza and City Center

Quality Education for all Oakland Students
A Fair Contract for OEA
No Cuts in Elementary Prep
Immediate Placement of All Unassigned Teachers
End the State Takeover!
Endorsed by AFSCME 257, Green Party of Oakland, other
endorsements pending
Labor donated