Portland teachers strike: Protesters march on Burnside Bridge

PORTLAND, Ore. — A large group of protesters, including members of the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) and their allies, blocked traffic and marched across the Burnside Bridge in Portland Tuesday morning.

The group stopped in the middle of the bridge for about 15 minutes before continuing their march. Around 9 a.m., the bridge was clear and cars began crossing it.

According to a post on the PAT Facebook page, the group met at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the union’s offices on 8th Avenue Northeast in Portland and began marching at 8 a.m. The march is in support of striking Portland teachers.

The Portland teachers’ strike began on November 1. On Monday morning, PAT said Portland Public Schools (PPS) school board members had rejected a tentative agreement, a claim the district disputed during a news conference.

PPS officials said they believed an agreement was “very, very close” and submitted a new counter-proposal to the PAT on Monday afternoon for review and consideration. As of Tuesday morning, no public response had been received from union officials to the district’s counterproposal.

This is a developing story and may be updated as more information becomes available.

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