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"OAKLAND -- Thousands of people are expected on downtown streets Wednesday in the Occupy Oakland’s planned general strike and mass day of action, prompting a flurry of planning by police, transit agencies, labor unions and, of course, the Occupy organizers themselves."
Numerous labor unions have offered informal commitment to participate in the strike, including the umbrella organization called the Alameda Labor Council as well as unions representing longshoremen, teachers, nurses and the city’s civilian workers.
The board of the Oakland teachers union has endorsed the effort, encouraging its members to hold teach-ins Wednesday on the history of general strikes or to take personal leave to join the protesters. Betty Olson-Jones, the union president, said she didn't know how many people don’t plan to teach on Wednesda, but based on responses she received from an email blast about the general strike, "It could be up to several hundred."
Many of the participating teachers are expected to arrange for substitutes. Olson-Jones said the district has a pool of at least 300 subs, which could potentially stretch to about 500.
