The prospect of a teachers' strike in San Francisco is becoming increasingly real, marking the first such event in nearly five decades. On Friday morning, Maria Su, the Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), appeared visibly emotional after tense negotiations with the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF). During a press conference held at the district's headquarters, she took a moment to compose herself before stating, "I do not want a strike," adding that if the union progresses with their plans for a strike on Monday, schools will indeed be closed.
In her shaky voice, Superintendent Su explained how the district is preparing to work with various city departments to provide families with educational materials appropriate for their children’s grade levels and ensure that there is adult supervision available for students during this potential closure.
Despite a neutral fact-finding report released earlier in the week that suggested a pathway to compromise, it seems the two sides remain as distant in their negotiations as they were almost a year ago when discussions began. According to Su, SFUSD has not made an offer that aligns with the report's recommendations, nor has the union presented a counterproposal.
In a final attempt to prevent a strike, both parties are scheduled to reconvene on Saturday afternoon. If no agreement is reached, the strike will commence at 8 a.m. on Monday. This week, teachers have actively invited parents and students to join them on the picket lines, urging solidarity.
What is the Union Saying?
Leaders of UESF highlighted in a social media video that Superintendent Su was notably absent from a critical bargaining session on Thursday night. The union has decided to pause negotiations on Friday, asserting that this is intended to give district officials time to formulate a satisfactory proposal for discussion on Saturday.
Will Schools Have Administrators Available?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. The United Administrators of San Francisco, which represents 253 principals, assistant principals, program administrators, and supervisors, declared on Friday that they would also go on strike in support of UESF. This means it is highly unlikely that schools will be able to remain operational during the strike.
A review of the teachers’ strike from 1979 indicates that administrators played a vital role in gradually reopening and managing schools during that time.
What is the Status of Negotiations?
While SFUSD previously claimed to have offered the union fully funded healthcare for educators’ dependents, the most recent proposal failed to meet those expectations. Instead, it presented two alternatives: either 75% coverage of family healthcare or an annual health benefits allowance of $24,000 for each educator. The district has suggested utilizing parcel tax funds, initially earmarked for increasing teacher salaries, to finance these additional healthcare benefits. However, this approach would only result in a separate, nonbinding agreement rather than being incorporated into the collective bargaining contract.
When it comes to salaries, there has been minimal movement from the district. Even though the neutral fact-finding report recommended a 6% raise over two years, SFUSD proposed only a 6% increase spread over three years. Meanwhile, the union is pushing for wage increases between 9% and 14% within the same timeframe.
The district has also declined to transition to a workload model for special education professionals, which would better reflect the time and effort spent with students rather than simply counting assigned students. Furthermore, the district did not commit to establishing a maximum cap on class sizes, a key demand from the union.
Su stated that the union has indicated it will not present a counteroffer on Saturday; however, union leaders maintain that they are prepared to continue negotiations.
"Every proposal they provided us hinged on increasing our class sizes and cutting existing budgets, site funding, pay, and staff," remarked Michelle Cody, a member of UESF, in a video shared on social media on Thursday night.
What is Mayor Daniel Lurie Doing About This?
Mayor Daniel Lurie expressed his confidence that both parties would remain engaged in discussions throughout the weekend until a resolution is found. "But we will be ready to support our children and our families come Monday if we don’t reach an agreement," he stated during a Thursday night call organized by the SF Parents Coalition.
Sherrice Dorsey-Smith, the executive director of the city’s Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, mentioned that the agency intends to bolster staffing and programming at local recreation centers and libraries. They plan to establish sites providing free lunch and breakfast for SFUSD students and make efforts to direct families in need to childcare services. Dorsey-Smith encouraged community organizations capable of opening their doors to children to step forward, estimating that around 6,000 slots might be available. However, it remains uncertain how many of these will be operational by Monday.
With a strike on the horizon, current sentiments among San Francisco parents predominantly favor the teachers—for the time being.
