ALBANY, Ore. – After five days of voting, 92% of the nearly 600 members of the Greater Albany Education Association voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Unionized teachers at Greater Albany Public Schools say they have been working without a ratified labor contract and have been negotiating for a new one for months. However, unionized teachers said there has been no adequate progress in those negotiations. Among other things, union members said they’re fighting for a contract that includes better classroom sizes, better safety conditions, and fairer wages. Teachers said a lack of these factors has led to poor teacher and student retention rates.