SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of public school teachers in San Francisco went on strike on Monday, the first public school teacher strike in the city in nearly 50 years.
The strike follows a failure to agree on increased wages, health benefits, and additional resources for students with special needs, leading to the closure of all 120 schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), which serves approximately 50,000 students. The district is providing independent study options while the strike is in effect.
“We are facing an affordability crisis,” stated Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, highlighting the unsustainable healthcare premiums for families. “Family healthcare premiums of $1,500 per month are pushing excellent teachers and support staff out of our district. This week, we said enough is enough.
The strike occurred after last-ditch negotiations over the weekend concluded without a new contract. Prominent local leaders, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, advocated for continued discussions rather than school closures.
Union leaders organized a news conference on Monday morning, followed by an afternoon rally at San Francisco City Hall, while further negotiations were scheduled for midday.
The union and district have been in discussions for nearly a year, with teachers requesting fully funded family health care, salary increases, and the filling of vacancies affecting special education services.
The union is proposing a 9% salary increase over two years, equating to an additional $92 million per year for the district, which they argue could be sourced from reserve funds. SFUSD, currently facing a $100 million deficit and undergoing state oversight due to a prolonged financial crisis, has dismissed this proposal, offering instead a 6% increase spread over three years, along with performance bonuses if a financial surplus is realized by the 2027-28 school year.
A neutral fact-finding report released last week suggested a compromise of a 6% increase over two years, largely supporting the district's financial constraints. The union has noted that teachers at SFUSD receive some of the lowest contributions to their healthcare costs in the Bay Area. In response, SFUSD has presented two options: the district covering 75% of family health coverage at Kaiser or granting an annual allowance of $24,000 for teachers to select their own health care plans.
Mayor Lurie has facilitated discussions surrounding support for both the district and families, emphasizing a commitment to ensuring schools can foster an environment where students thrive and educators feel supported. “I will continue working to ensure that,” he remarked in a social media post.
