San Francisco Teachers Vote to Approve Historic Strike, First in Nearly 50 Years

San Francisco teachers are barrelling toward a strike, voting overwhelmingly this week to authorize one after months of unsuccessful labor negotiations.

The vote — which gives union leaders the go-ahead to declare an indefinite work stoppage — was supported by nearly 98% of the city’s educators who cast ballots during a weeklong vote.  More than 5,200 of United Educators of San Francisco’s 6,000 members participated, according to the union.

If called, the strike would be the first in San Francisco since 1979, and threatens to upend school operations indefinitely. Superintendent Maria Su has said schools could not open safely without striking staff, and that — if campuses are forced to close — the academic year could be extended into the summer. 

“The time is now for the district to act,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said in a statement. “What comes next is ultimately up to the district and their actions, but San Francisco educators are making it clear that we are more than willing to do everything we can for our community.”

UESF won’t strike until it receives a fact-finding report from a neutral party, part of a state-mandated mediation process between the district and union, next week. 

But Curiel said that the union is committed to reaching a deal that meets its core demands, including fully-funded dependent healthcare, wage increases and contract language affirming SFUSD’s sanctuary commitments for immigrants. Earlier this week, she said the district hasn’t indicated it plans to meet their requirements.

“The district and the union remain very far apart. That is a driving concern,” Curiel told KQED. She said this week’s vote brings the union closer to a strike than it has been in 20 years.

The last time the union held a final strike vote like this week’s was in 2006.

United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, paraeducators and other school staff, has been negotiating a new two-year contract with the district since March of last year. Educators are currently working under a deal that expired in June.

The parties mutually agreed to move into a two-part mediation process in November. Last week, they wrapped up the second step of that mediation process without a deal.

“We are disappointed to share that we did not reach an agreement with UESF after today’s fact-finding session,” Su said in a message to families Friday. “Despite the District’s creative suggestions, UESF did not offer any counter, and terminated our Fact Finding session at 4:30 p.m.”

The district said it’s offered UESF 6% raises over three years — pay increases the union said are contingent on giving up extra preparation periods for advanced placement course teachers and a sabbatical program for veteran educators, which they don’t want to lose. SFUSD also said it offered a way to fully fund health benefits, but Curiel said the union has not gotten any such proposal in writing.

“These ideas did not go nearly far enough, and … came with huge concessions our team knew our members would never stand for,” the union said in a statement. “We remain prepared to hear any real solutions the district may formally bring to the table that will stabilize our district for our students, educators, and families.”

Curiel said the union is still willing to negotiate with the district, but that it “has not shown any actions that lead to actual attempts to avoid [a strike].”

“[Since] the last real proposal that we were passed, [it] has been months,” she continued. “The district could change that effort. We’re taking steps to be prepared.”

Over the next week, the fact-finding panel, which is made up of a representative for the union, district and neutral chair, will issue its non-binding recommendations. The union also must choose to accept or reject a final offer from the district.

After that, it could call a strike at any time.

It’s not yet known which schools would shutter during a strike, or for how long. Su said in a message to families that SFUSD is committed to meeting its minimum number of instructional days, and could extend the academic year if necessary.

“This is an incredible show of strength and unity,” the union said in a statement. “The urgency of our demands has never been clearer.”