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"content": "\u003cp>A four-week strike by thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> health care workers in California and Hawaii ended Tuesday morning, even though no full contract deal has been reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walkout \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">initially involved\u003c/a> up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, optometrists and others. Following significant movement at the bargaining table over the weekend, according to the union, no picket lines were held Monday as return-to-work agreements were finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided to end this because we were making meaningful progress at the tables. And returning to work allows us to closely deal with the issues, the few that are still outstanding, while getting back to taking care of our patients,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, secretary of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.[aside postID=news_12073887 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED.jpg']The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.[aside postID=news_12073839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2.jpg']“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”[aside postID=science_1999553 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/251126-AI-KAISER-KQED_1.jpg']The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Nearly 31,000 health care workers with the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have been on strike for the last four weeks. Nurses, physicians assistants, pharmacists and other workers at Kaiser Permanente say that their wages have not kept up with inflation and that their workloads have negatively impacted patient care. As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4078420376\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:33] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Outside of Kaiser Oakland on Monday, Kaiser Permanente nurses, physicians assistants, and other workers stood out in the rain to hold the picket line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Picket Line: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>Thank you. Be safe in the rain. Let’s get this contract done!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>It’s been four weeks since tens of thousands of Kaiser workers who make up the backbone of patient care for the company began striking over staffing and pay, including Chris Pyper, a physicians assistant at the Kaiser in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Pyper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>It just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the healthcare workers who are doing a lot of the patient care. I’m basically using up savings that I’ve had, hoping that this is going to produce a good contract and I’m willing to stay out as long as we need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:40] \u003c/em>Workers also have larger concerns over the direction of the company. Kaiser is the largest non-profit health insurer in the country. And employees say that as Kaiser has grown, their work has gotten harder and harder. Today, we talk with KQED labor correspondent, Farida Javala Romero, about the Kaiser strike and what it means for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>This is a large strike, even for a very large company like Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:29] \u003c/em>Farida Javala-Romero is a labor correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:33] \u003c/em>So this particular strike involves up to 31,000 employees in California. Most of them are based in Southern California, but there are some happening in Northern California as well. It’s made up of nurses, including nurse anesthetists, physicians assistants, physical therapists, midwives. And then in Southern California, there’s also pharmacists and other very key healthcare workers. They’re key people for operations and surgeries. So we’ve heard of some surgeries being delayed. And so I wanted to speak with Kaiser patients who are facing some of these disruptions in care because of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:25] \u003c/em>Honestly, when the scheduler first called me and told me about it, I sobbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:31] \u003c/em>So I spoke with folks like Kayla Howell in San Jose. She was going to have surgery to repair her torn ACL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:39] \u003c/em>Having that taken away you realize like oh my god i use my leg for everything going to the bathroom taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:48] \u003c/em>And so she was one of the folks who got a call saying, this thing is gonna be delayed until March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:55] \u003c/em>I’ve never had surgery before. It’s kind of a big thing. And so in my head, I was like, OK, this is what I’m going to do. I’m ready for it. You know, I’m preparing myself. It’s going to happen on this day. And then to have that, like, snatched away from me just like five days before it’s supposed to happen. I was, like Oh, that’s like a big paradigm shift, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Her mom was gonna travel from abroad to care for her. Her mom couldn’t change her ticket to come to the U.S. To help her and her lodging. It just seemed like there were so many ripple effects just for one patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:27] \u003c/em>When Kaiser said they’re canceling non-essential surgeries, like before I would think like, oh, non-essential, like plastic surgery, stuff that like people don’t really like need, you know, but like I need my mobility and I need to my legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:41] \u003c/em>Some of the people that wrote to us, you know, to tell us about their stories, they had hip replacement surgeries, you know where everything hurts, like it hurts to get in and out of their car. They told me that they’ve been waiting for these surgeries for months already to get on the schedule. So this, you now, additional delay hit really hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>I mean, that’s a huge inconvenience for people I can’t imagine. And we are already on week four which feels that feels pretty long to me is that long I guess in comparison to these other strikes that you’ve been talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think so. Since September, this is the third time they’ve gone on strike. But the previous strikes were limited duration, so they lasted one day or five days. And they said ahead of time how long it was going to last, which helps the employer prepare and also for people to know what’s going to happen. With this situation we have now, the stakes are higher because this could go on for a lot longer. It seems like many of these issues, at least from the employee’s perspective, are not getting resolved. And a lot of them have to do with staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:06] \u003c/em>I’ve been here for 14 years, I really am honestly at this point feeling like I work for an investment bank that poses as a healthcare organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>Sanne Jacobson, I met her outside of the Oakland Medical Center. It was the first day of this strike on January 26. And she’s part of the bargaining committee. So they’re looking for more input into their scheduling, the number of patients that they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:36] \u003c/em>You get providers that are double and triple booked and they can’t adequately provide care for the patients. And they suffer moral injury when they go to work and they can’t practice like they are supposed to be practicing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em>What she, and this is echoing what a lot of other folks have told me at Picket Lines, is that increasing pressure to see more and more patients, they feel like they need to rush more to see more patients. They’re seeing their patients have to wait longer to be able to return to come see them for follow-up visits. And then from Kaiser’s perspective, they have been, for months, dismissing any claims that their patient care quality is sliding. And that there aren’t enough staffers to see patients. They say they meet all of the staffing levels that are required. And so, at least from workers’ perspective, the company is focusing on wages and wage increases, but not so much talking about the staffing problems that workers see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>So would you say that’s like, the main sticking point for workers in this particular strike? This feeling that they’re just a little overwhelmed with low staffing compared to the number of patients they have to take care of, and that wages maybe actually isn’t the number one issue for them?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I think it’s all connected. We can say that compensation and staffing levels are the two top issues. And those are nationwide top concerns for nurses and other healthcare workers. And when we’re talking about wages in this particular strike, the union wants a 25% increase over four years and Kaiser has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:31] \u003c/em>Well, I wanna zoom out a little bit from this strike because I feel like I’ve seen a lot of strikes from Kaiser workers lately. Why is that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:39] \u003c/em>We have seen several strikes in the last few years as these contracts expire and Kaiser is in negotiations for a new contract with different unions. This is a company where many of their employees, I think it’s more than 130,000, are unionized. And I think that goes back to this central conflict that we’re seeing for a company like Kaiser, which is. Employees feel like the company is moving away from its mission as a nonprofit, and that instead the company has expanded to new states, building new facilities, buying hospitals, and investing the revenues they’re getting from their health insurance business into growing. Meanwhile, the employees feel like they’ve been sort of left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>What’s happening at Kaiser in some ways reflects what’s happening in terms of the structure of the healthcare industry at the national level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>John Logan chairs the Labor Studies Department at San Francisco State University. He’s a really interesting person to talk to about the strike because he’s kept an eye on Kaiser for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>You know, the one thing about the Kaiser partnership that’s existed now for over 25 years, nurses, technicians, others had a great deal more say over working conditions, scheduling, and those types of things. And that’s what a lot of the workers say has been eroded in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:22] \u003c/em>The mission of Kaiser is to reinvest all of its revenues into patient care and their facilities. But employees, many of them who’ve worked at Kaiser for more than 10 years, they see the company as changing, they describe it as more corporate, more top-down, and I think that’s some of the conflict that we’re seeing now. It’s making billions of dollars in net income. It has really large reserves. That Kaiser says it needs to deal with long-term commitments, like pensions and building maintenance, and have enough money in case there’s another emergency, like a pandemic. And employees say, hey, this company has a lot of money. How come they’re not investing in their workforce and improving patient care?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:14] \u003c/em>It sounds like employees are feeling like they have to shoulder a lot of this growth that is happening in Kaiser without necessarily getting the support to do that. What is Kaiser saying in response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>What they’ve said in their public statements is that Kaiser is a great health care provider, that they have a really good model benefiting patients, and that they’re trying their best to meet the demand of Kaiser customers or members, which is what they call them. They have not really addressed these employee big concerns about staffing, about scheduling problems. We have not been able to get an interview with like a Kaiser executive or a representative to really dig into you know how they’re thinking about their reality and this you know labor conflict they have now. And then what we talked about earlier that the policies of the federal government are giving health care executives a really uncertain financial picture for the next couple of years. At companies like Kaiser, which is a health insurer and health provider. I mean, this means they could see a lot less money from people not being able to buy insurance or losing their health insurance, at the same time that they could higher costs from uninsured folks coming to hospitals for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:42] \u003c/em>Well, I want to come back to Kayla who has the torn ACL. I mean, we’re four weeks into the strike now. I imagine she’s watching this all very, very closely. Do you have any sense of what public support is like from people like Kayla who are directly affected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>Kayla and other patients I spoke with, they all feel like they need the strike to be resolved as soon as possible so that they can get the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:15] \u003c/em>We live in one of the richest countries in the world. I pay my health insurance and I pay my premiums and where is that money going to? I just wish they would figure out a way to resolve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>I think many of these folks sympathize with the employees and they want Kaiser to treat this as a very urgent matter and, you know, come to some deal. I think from both sides, but definitely when you go talk to people at the picket line, they really feel for the patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:47] \u003c/em>What is it going to take for this to end and when could it end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>So, there’s a national contract for all of these workers. And then there are locals in each of the regions where workers are represented. And Kaiser, at this point, is refusing to meet with national union negotiators. And there is some bargaining at the local level. What the union folks have told me is that the strike is not going to be resolved without a national contract, or that would be the easiest way for Kaiser to resolve it. The conflict has gone to such a bad place on both sides that you have the employer saying, we’re not going to deal with these national union negotiators anymore. And so we’re just going to try to resolve everything at the local level. And meanwhile, the union is saying, ‘That’s illegal. No, you have to talk to us.’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:45] \u003c/em>Do you see any parallels between this Kaiser strike and the teacher strike that just ended in San Francisco last week?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, so much right now with these big conflicts we’re seeing are about affordability. For example, the Kaiser employees on strike say that during the pandemic, they agreed to much smaller wage increases because Kaiser had some big financial and other challenges, as many health systems did. And so now they feel like it’s a time to catch up and to really try to keep up with inflation and the high prices of everything. And then in San Francisco, with the teachers… It was a similar big issue, which is people feel like they can’t afford to live, you know, where do they work in San Francisco? And so the big topic over all of this is affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:47] \u003c/em>And the teachers were talking about not being able to afford their health care\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:50] \u003c/em>Health insurance right.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:55] \u003c/em>Farida, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:57] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Nearly 31,000 health care workers with the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have been on strike for the last four weeks. Nurses, physicians assistants, pharmacists and other workers at Kaiser Permanente say that their wages have not kept up with inflation and that their workloads have negatively impacted patient care. As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4078420376\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:33] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Outside of Kaiser Oakland on Monday, Kaiser Permanente nurses, physicians assistants, and other workers stood out in the rain to hold the picket line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Picket Line: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>Thank you. Be safe in the rain. Let’s get this contract done!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>It’s been four weeks since tens of thousands of Kaiser workers who make up the backbone of patient care for the company began striking over staffing and pay, including Chris Pyper, a physicians assistant at the Kaiser in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Pyper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>It just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the healthcare workers who are doing a lot of the patient care. I’m basically using up savings that I’ve had, hoping that this is going to produce a good contract and I’m willing to stay out as long as we need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:40] \u003c/em>Workers also have larger concerns over the direction of the company. Kaiser is the largest non-profit health insurer in the country. And employees say that as Kaiser has grown, their work has gotten harder and harder. Today, we talk with KQED labor correspondent, Farida Javala Romero, about the Kaiser strike and what it means for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>This is a large strike, even for a very large company like Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:29] \u003c/em>Farida Javala-Romero is a labor correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:33] \u003c/em>So this particular strike involves up to 31,000 employees in California. Most of them are based in Southern California, but there are some happening in Northern California as well. It’s made up of nurses, including nurse anesthetists, physicians assistants, physical therapists, midwives. And then in Southern California, there’s also pharmacists and other very key healthcare workers. They’re key people for operations and surgeries. So we’ve heard of some surgeries being delayed. And so I wanted to speak with Kaiser patients who are facing some of these disruptions in care because of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:25] \u003c/em>Honestly, when the scheduler first called me and told me about it, I sobbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:31] \u003c/em>So I spoke with folks like Kayla Howell in San Jose. She was going to have surgery to repair her torn ACL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:39] \u003c/em>Having that taken away you realize like oh my god i use my leg for everything going to the bathroom taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:48] \u003c/em>And so she was one of the folks who got a call saying, this thing is gonna be delayed until March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:55] \u003c/em>I’ve never had surgery before. It’s kind of a big thing. And so in my head, I was like, OK, this is what I’m going to do. I’m ready for it. You know, I’m preparing myself. It’s going to happen on this day. And then to have that, like, snatched away from me just like five days before it’s supposed to happen. I was, like Oh, that’s like a big paradigm shift, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Her mom was gonna travel from abroad to care for her. Her mom couldn’t change her ticket to come to the U.S. To help her and her lodging. It just seemed like there were so many ripple effects just for one patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:27] \u003c/em>When Kaiser said they’re canceling non-essential surgeries, like before I would think like, oh, non-essential, like plastic surgery, stuff that like people don’t really like need, you know, but like I need my mobility and I need to my legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:41] \u003c/em>Some of the people that wrote to us, you know, to tell us about their stories, they had hip replacement surgeries, you know where everything hurts, like it hurts to get in and out of their car. They told me that they’ve been waiting for these surgeries for months already to get on the schedule. So this, you now, additional delay hit really hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>I mean, that’s a huge inconvenience for people I can’t imagine. And we are already on week four which feels that feels pretty long to me is that long I guess in comparison to these other strikes that you’ve been talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think so. Since September, this is the third time they’ve gone on strike. But the previous strikes were limited duration, so they lasted one day or five days. And they said ahead of time how long it was going to last, which helps the employer prepare and also for people to know what’s going to happen. With this situation we have now, the stakes are higher because this could go on for a lot longer. It seems like many of these issues, at least from the employee’s perspective, are not getting resolved. And a lot of them have to do with staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:06] \u003c/em>I’ve been here for 14 years, I really am honestly at this point feeling like I work for an investment bank that poses as a healthcare organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>Sanne Jacobson, I met her outside of the Oakland Medical Center. It was the first day of this strike on January 26. And she’s part of the bargaining committee. So they’re looking for more input into their scheduling, the number of patients that they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:36] \u003c/em>You get providers that are double and triple booked and they can’t adequately provide care for the patients. And they suffer moral injury when they go to work and they can’t practice like they are supposed to be practicing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em>What she, and this is echoing what a lot of other folks have told me at Picket Lines, is that increasing pressure to see more and more patients, they feel like they need to rush more to see more patients. They’re seeing their patients have to wait longer to be able to return to come see them for follow-up visits. And then from Kaiser’s perspective, they have been, for months, dismissing any claims that their patient care quality is sliding. And that there aren’t enough staffers to see patients. They say they meet all of the staffing levels that are required. And so, at least from workers’ perspective, the company is focusing on wages and wage increases, but not so much talking about the staffing problems that workers see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>So would you say that’s like, the main sticking point for workers in this particular strike? This feeling that they’re just a little overwhelmed with low staffing compared to the number of patients they have to take care of, and that wages maybe actually isn’t the number one issue for them?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I think it’s all connected. We can say that compensation and staffing levels are the two top issues. And those are nationwide top concerns for nurses and other healthcare workers. And when we’re talking about wages in this particular strike, the union wants a 25% increase over four years and Kaiser has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:31] \u003c/em>Well, I wanna zoom out a little bit from this strike because I feel like I’ve seen a lot of strikes from Kaiser workers lately. Why is that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:39] \u003c/em>We have seen several strikes in the last few years as these contracts expire and Kaiser is in negotiations for a new contract with different unions. This is a company where many of their employees, I think it’s more than 130,000, are unionized. And I think that goes back to this central conflict that we’re seeing for a company like Kaiser, which is. Employees feel like the company is moving away from its mission as a nonprofit, and that instead the company has expanded to new states, building new facilities, buying hospitals, and investing the revenues they’re getting from their health insurance business into growing. Meanwhile, the employees feel like they’ve been sort of left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>What’s happening at Kaiser in some ways reflects what’s happening in terms of the structure of the healthcare industry at the national level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>John Logan chairs the Labor Studies Department at San Francisco State University. He’s a really interesting person to talk to about the strike because he’s kept an eye on Kaiser for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>You know, the one thing about the Kaiser partnership that’s existed now for over 25 years, nurses, technicians, others had a great deal more say over working conditions, scheduling, and those types of things. And that’s what a lot of the workers say has been eroded in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:22] \u003c/em>The mission of Kaiser is to reinvest all of its revenues into patient care and their facilities. But employees, many of them who’ve worked at Kaiser for more than 10 years, they see the company as changing, they describe it as more corporate, more top-down, and I think that’s some of the conflict that we’re seeing now. It’s making billions of dollars in net income. It has really large reserves. That Kaiser says it needs to deal with long-term commitments, like pensions and building maintenance, and have enough money in case there’s another emergency, like a pandemic. And employees say, hey, this company has a lot of money. How come they’re not investing in their workforce and improving patient care?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:14] \u003c/em>It sounds like employees are feeling like they have to shoulder a lot of this growth that is happening in Kaiser without necessarily getting the support to do that. What is Kaiser saying in response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>What they’ve said in their public statements is that Kaiser is a great health care provider, that they have a really good model benefiting patients, and that they’re trying their best to meet the demand of Kaiser customers or members, which is what they call them. They have not really addressed these employee big concerns about staffing, about scheduling problems. We have not been able to get an interview with like a Kaiser executive or a representative to really dig into you know how they’re thinking about their reality and this you know labor conflict they have now. And then what we talked about earlier that the policies of the federal government are giving health care executives a really uncertain financial picture for the next couple of years. At companies like Kaiser, which is a health insurer and health provider. I mean, this means they could see a lot less money from people not being able to buy insurance or losing their health insurance, at the same time that they could higher costs from uninsured folks coming to hospitals for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:42] \u003c/em>Well, I want to come back to Kayla who has the torn ACL. I mean, we’re four weeks into the strike now. I imagine she’s watching this all very, very closely. Do you have any sense of what public support is like from people like Kayla who are directly affected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>Kayla and other patients I spoke with, they all feel like they need the strike to be resolved as soon as possible so that they can get the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:15] \u003c/em>We live in one of the richest countries in the world. I pay my health insurance and I pay my premiums and where is that money going to? I just wish they would figure out a way to resolve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>I think many of these folks sympathize with the employees and they want Kaiser to treat this as a very urgent matter and, you know, come to some deal. I think from both sides, but definitely when you go talk to people at the picket line, they really feel for the patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:47] \u003c/em>What is it going to take for this to end and when could it end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>So, there’s a national contract for all of these workers. And then there are locals in each of the regions where workers are represented. And Kaiser, at this point, is refusing to meet with national union negotiators. And there is some bargaining at the local level. What the union folks have told me is that the strike is not going to be resolved without a national contract, or that would be the easiest way for Kaiser to resolve it. The conflict has gone to such a bad place on both sides that you have the employer saying, we’re not going to deal with these national union negotiators anymore. And so we’re just going to try to resolve everything at the local level. And meanwhile, the union is saying, ‘That’s illegal. No, you have to talk to us.’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:45] \u003c/em>Do you see any parallels between this Kaiser strike and the teacher strike that just ended in San Francisco last week?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, so much right now with these big conflicts we’re seeing are about affordability. For example, the Kaiser employees on strike say that during the pandemic, they agreed to much smaller wage increases because Kaiser had some big financial and other challenges, as many health systems did. And so now they feel like it’s a time to catch up and to really try to keep up with inflation and the high prices of everything. And then in San Francisco, with the teachers… It was a similar big issue, which is people feel like they can’t afford to live, you know, where do they work in San Francisco? And so the big topic over all of this is affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:47] \u003c/em>And the teachers were talking about not being able to afford their health care\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:50] \u003c/em>Health insurance right.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:55] \u003c/em>Farida, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:57] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco’s historic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">teachers strike\u003c/a> has ended and schools will reopen next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District and teachers reached a deal around 5:30 a.m. Friday, following a 13-hour bargaining session, according to the United Educators of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $183 million agreement includes fully employer-paid family health care benefits — the union’s main sticking point \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072981/the-sfusd-teachers-strike-goes-on-heres-what-itll-take-to-end-it\">throughout negotiations\u003c/a> — as well as wage increases, revisions to special education workloads, and sanctuary and housing protections for district families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the contract still needs to be ratified by the union and adopted by the district’s Board of Education, United Educators of San Francisco leaders said it will serve as a “strong foundation” for school stability in future years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were able to achieve in this strike was an unwavering, long-lasting sense of solidarity that will only benefit every single San Franciscan,” union Vice President Frank Lara told reporters early Friday. “While it was difficult and it is difficult for our members who have gone on strike, we’re ending it with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties reached the two-year agreement after nearly a year of negotiations between the union and district, and a week without school for the district’s 49,000 students. Schools will reopen to students on Wednesday, after planned holidays for Presidents Day and Lunar New Year on Monday and Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su speaks during a press conference at the school district offices in San Francisco on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Superintendent Maria Su called the deal “monumental.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This agreement will help us recruit talented educators to work in San Francisco in our public schools,” she said on Friday. “It will help retain our dedicated staff that serves our classroom each and every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract includes SFUSD’s commitment to fully fund health care premiums on its lowest-rate Kaiser Permanente plan for educators and their families starting next January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The benefit package had been the biggest sticking point for the union, which said its members pay up to $1,500 for health coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said that starting in July, it will also provide “meaningful relief” to bring premium rates down.[aside postID=news_12073310 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/251205-wccusdstrikerally01511_TV_qed.jpg']In an email, San Francisco State University labor historian John Logan called the health care coverage a big win for the union, but said that the other two sticking points — wages and resources for special education services — “could perhaps best be described as a ‘score draw.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When bargaining began, the union asked for 14% and 9% raises, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district will give both security guards and paraeducators, who work as school and classroom aides, an 8.5% raise over two years, with hikes of 4% this year and then 4.5% in the year following.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education paraeducators will receive an additional 5% salary increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security guards will gain an additional floating holiday, as well as eligibility for full-time employment, which improves their benefit coverage options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Certificated educators, including teachers, social workers and counselors, will receive 2% raises in each of the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union had also proposed transitioning from a caseload model, which allocates workload by student, to a new model that accounts for varying student needs, reducing the burden on employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073557 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks at a press conference on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in San Francisco, addressing the San Francisco Unified School District’s newly reached agreement with the teachers union. \u003ccite>(Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the tentative agreement calls for the district and union to “collaborate on an educator working group with budget authority to improve special education programs,” and commits to providing “additional supports” for special educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday morning, Mayor Daniel Lurie called the contract “a win for our city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a win for our public schools. It’s a win for educators,” he told reporters. “We talk about affordability in this city, and it is far too out of reach for so many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Intertwined with the excitement surrounding the deal, though, are looming questions of how the district will pay for the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073459\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073459 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters march from Dolores Park to City Hall during the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Throughout negotiations, the district and union had been at odds over how much funding is actually available to cover expenses like raises and benefits. Prior to the deal, the district had already been planning to make more than $100 million in cuts ahead of next fall — and in November, moved to reopen a conversation about merging or closing schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has repeatedly said the district cannot spend outside its means, as it is under state oversight and, according to Su, “inching out” of a fiscal cliff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals,” she told reporters earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the possibility of layoffs or school closures and mergers on Friday, she said, “That has always been on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073460 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roosevelt High School students stand alongside teachers, faculty and supporters during a rally on the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The district said it would dip into a “rainy day” reserve fund of about $111 million that it set aside in December to help cover health care costs for the duration of the new contract, which expires in June 2027. But it’s still unclear how much reserve funding it will use, or how it plans to continue to pay for the benefits moving forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking with reporters on Friday, Lara said that the district’s budget woes have more to do with management than a lack of funding, citing SFUSD’s significant fund balance, built up after overprojecting how much it would spend in many recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district ended last year in a deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a conversation for a different moment,” Lara said. “But I hope that the power, the energy, the love that we’ve received from our city … shows this district management or any district management or any board elected that people have hope and people want to see SFUSD succeed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">\u003cem>Sydney Johnson\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco’s historic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">teachers strike\u003c/a> has ended and schools will reopen next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District and teachers reached a deal around 5:30 a.m. Friday, following a 13-hour bargaining session, according to the United Educators of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $183 million agreement includes fully employer-paid family health care benefits — the union’s main sticking point \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072981/the-sfusd-teachers-strike-goes-on-heres-what-itll-take-to-end-it\">throughout negotiations\u003c/a> — as well as wage increases, revisions to special education workloads, and sanctuary and housing protections for district families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the contract still needs to be ratified by the union and adopted by the district’s Board of Education, United Educators of San Francisco leaders said it will serve as a “strong foundation” for school stability in future years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were able to achieve in this strike was an unwavering, long-lasting sense of solidarity that will only benefit every single San Franciscan,” union Vice President Frank Lara told reporters early Friday. “While it was difficult and it is difficult for our members who have gone on strike, we’re ending it with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties reached the two-year agreement after nearly a year of negotiations between the union and district, and a week without school for the district’s 49,000 students. Schools will reopen to students on Wednesday, after planned holidays for Presidents Day and Lunar New Year on Monday and Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su speaks during a press conference at the school district offices in San Francisco on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Superintendent Maria Su called the deal “monumental.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This agreement will help us recruit talented educators to work in San Francisco in our public schools,” she said on Friday. “It will help retain our dedicated staff that serves our classroom each and every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract includes SFUSD’s commitment to fully fund health care premiums on its lowest-rate Kaiser Permanente plan for educators and their families starting next January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The benefit package had been the biggest sticking point for the union, which said its members pay up to $1,500 for health coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said that starting in July, it will also provide “meaningful relief” to bring premium rates down.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In an email, San Francisco State University labor historian John Logan called the health care coverage a big win for the union, but said that the other two sticking points — wages and resources for special education services — “could perhaps best be described as a ‘score draw.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When bargaining began, the union asked for 14% and 9% raises, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district will give both security guards and paraeducators, who work as school and classroom aides, an 8.5% raise over two years, with hikes of 4% this year and then 4.5% in the year following.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education paraeducators will receive an additional 5% salary increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security guards will gain an additional floating holiday, as well as eligibility for full-time employment, which improves their benefit coverage options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Certificated educators, including teachers, social workers and counselors, will receive 2% raises in each of the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union had also proposed transitioning from a caseload model, which allocates workload by student, to a new model that accounts for varying student needs, reducing the burden on employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073557 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/DanielLurieSFUSDStrike-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks at a press conference on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in San Francisco, addressing the San Francisco Unified School District’s newly reached agreement with the teachers union. \u003ccite>(Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the tentative agreement calls for the district and union to “collaborate on an educator working group with budget authority to improve special education programs,” and commits to providing “additional supports” for special educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday morning, Mayor Daniel Lurie called the contract “a win for our city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a win for our public schools. It’s a win for educators,” he told reporters. “We talk about affordability in this city, and it is far too out of reach for so many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Intertwined with the excitement surrounding the deal, though, are looming questions of how the district will pay for the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073459\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073459 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-40-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters march from Dolores Park to City Hall during the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Throughout negotiations, the district and union had been at odds over how much funding is actually available to cover expenses like raises and benefits. Prior to the deal, the district had already been planning to make more than $100 million in cuts ahead of next fall — and in November, moved to reopen a conversation about merging or closing schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has repeatedly said the district cannot spend outside its means, as it is under state oversight and, according to Su, “inching out” of a fiscal cliff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals,” she told reporters earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the possibility of layoffs or school closures and mergers on Friday, she said, “That has always been on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073460 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-31-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roosevelt High School students stand alongside teachers, faculty and supporters during a rally on the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The district said it would dip into a “rainy day” reserve fund of about $111 million that it set aside in December to help cover health care costs for the duration of the new contract, which expires in June 2027. But it’s still unclear how much reserve funding it will use, or how it plans to continue to pay for the benefits moving forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking with reporters on Friday, Lara said that the district’s budget woes have more to do with management than a lack of funding, citing SFUSD’s significant fund balance, built up after overprojecting how much it would spend in many recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district ended last year in a deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a conversation for a different moment,” Lara said. “But I hope that the power, the energy, the love that we’ve received from our city … shows this district management or any district management or any board elected that people have hope and people want to see SFUSD succeed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">\u003cem>Sydney Johnson\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Kaiser Workers Say Patients Deserve Better Mental Health Care After $31M Settlement",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle",
"title": "SFUSD Teachers Strike Ends After 4 Days With Tentative Deal",
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"headTitle": "SFUSD Teachers Strike Ends After 4 Days With Tentative Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>After days at a stalemate, San Francisco’s teachers union announced early Friday it had reached a tentative agreement with the city’s school district, ending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">a four-day strike\u003c/a> — the first in nearly 50 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Educators of San Francisco announced that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> reached the deal around 5:30 a.m. following a 13-hour bargaining session. The union has been negotiating a new contract for 11 months and has been working under an expired agreement since July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes fully employer-paid family health care benefits — the union’s main sticking point throughout negotiations — as well as wage increases, revisions to special education workloads, and sanctuary and housing protections for district families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By forcing SFUSD to invest in fully funded family health care, special education workloads, improved wages, sanctuary and housing protections for San Francisco families, we’ve made important progress toward the schools our students deserve,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said. “This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the safe and stable learning environments our students deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 100 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073219/san-francisco-teachers-strike-day-3-citys-schools-stay-closed-as-negotiations-drag-on\">San Francisco schools\u003c/a> have been shut down since Monday as UESF members and other district employees took to picket lines. Schools will reopen to students Wednesday, after planned holidays for President’s Day and Lunar New Year on Monday and Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This agreement enhances our efforts to recruit and attract talented educators to work in San Francisco public schools and reflects our commitment to invest in educators,” Superintendent Maria Su said in a statement. “I know it has been a hard week, and I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our students and families. We cannot wait to welcome you back to school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new contract includes major wins for the union, which has been pushing for fully funded health care, raises and an overhaul to the district’s special education work mode. The agreement, which still must be ratified by union members and approved by the Board of Education, will be retroactive to July 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout negotiations, UESF demanded that the district cover 100% of premiums on the least expensive plan for educators with two or more dependents, which currently costs teachers about $1,500 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That amount of money is life-changing to us,” Ryan Alias, an English teacher at Balboa High School, said during a press conference Thursday. He and his wife are both public school teachers, and he has two children in SFUSD schools.[aside postID=news_12073310 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/251205-wccusdstrikerally01511_TV_qed.jpg']“If we had that in our pocket, we would be able to save for retirement,” he said. “We would be able to save for college funds. We’d be able to save for student loans. We’d be able to pay for art classes for our kids. This is the thing that is going to keep educators in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning in January 2027, SFUSD will cover the full cost of premiums on its lowest-rate Kaiser Permanente plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the interim, it will also begin to provide some relief funding to educators with dependents in July, according to UESF Vice President Frank Lara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for wages, the district will give paraeducators — who work as school and classroom aides — an 8.5% raise over two years, with hikes of 4% this year and 4.5% next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Certificated educators — including teachers, social workers and counselors — will receive 2% raises in each of the next two years. When bargaining began, the union asked for 14% and 9% raises, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education paraeducators will receive an additional 5% salary increase, and classified employees, including security guards, will gain an additional floating holiday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security guards will also be offered full-time employment, which improves their benefit coverage options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Details about the special education workload changes are sparser. The district said it has committed to providing “additional support” for special educators, adding that the parties will “collaborate on an educator working group with budget authority to improve special education programs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union had requested that the district move from a caseload model, which allocates workload by student, to a workload mode, which factors in the work associated with the needs of each student, to reduce the burden on employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement Friday morning, Mayor Daniel Lurie thanked the bargaining teams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As San Francisco becomes increasingly out of reach for so many, we all understand that it is absolutely essential that our educators and their families feel truly supported. We should all be proud of how we’ve done that in this agreement,” he wrote via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said it signed the tentative agreement at 5:30 a.m. Friday, after more than 13 hours of bargaining that began Thursday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to the afternoon session, negotiations had hit a stalemate, as the district repeatedly said it was infeasible to fully cover health care, and the union refused to back down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>SFUSD has repeatedly cited a massive budget deficit, expected to be about $102 million this year, and said that because it is under state oversight, it cannot spend outside of its means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do not have a lot of money,” Su told reporters Wednesday. “We do not have enough funds to pay for this year and the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re slowly inching out of that, we are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until this week, the district had offered all educators a 6% raise over three years, with concessions. It also had said the union’s ask for fully funded health care, which will cost an estimated $14 million a year, was impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lara, the UESF vice president, said Friday’s deal reflects a different reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wish it had not taken 11 months for the district to take us as seriously as they did,” Lara told reporters Friday morning. “The money that has been presented was money that we knew they had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he said the new contract was a significant win and reflected a strong showing of support from the city over the last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it was difficult … for our members who have gone on strike, we’re ending it with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Shareyourstory\">\u003c/a>California is expensive. Share your story of how you get by\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "San Francisco educators and the school district reached a tentative two-year agreement early Friday, ending a four-day strike. The deal includes fully employer-paid family health care benefits, wage increases and revisions to special education workloads.",
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"title": "SFUSD Teachers Strike Ends After 4 Days With Tentative Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After days at a stalemate, San Francisco’s teachers union announced early Friday it had reached a tentative agreement with the city’s school district, ending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">a four-day strike\u003c/a> — the first in nearly 50 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Educators of San Francisco announced that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> reached the deal around 5:30 a.m. following a 13-hour bargaining session. The union has been negotiating a new contract for 11 months and has been working under an expired agreement since July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes fully employer-paid family health care benefits — the union’s main sticking point throughout negotiations — as well as wage increases, revisions to special education workloads, and sanctuary and housing protections for district families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By forcing SFUSD to invest in fully funded family health care, special education workloads, improved wages, sanctuary and housing protections for San Francisco families, we’ve made important progress toward the schools our students deserve,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said. “This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the safe and stable learning environments our students deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 100 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073219/san-francisco-teachers-strike-day-3-citys-schools-stay-closed-as-negotiations-drag-on\">San Francisco schools\u003c/a> have been shut down since Monday as UESF members and other district employees took to picket lines. Schools will reopen to students Wednesday, after planned holidays for President’s Day and Lunar New Year on Monday and Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This agreement enhances our efforts to recruit and attract talented educators to work in San Francisco public schools and reflects our commitment to invest in educators,” Superintendent Maria Su said in a statement. “I know it has been a hard week, and I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our students and families. We cannot wait to welcome you back to school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new contract includes major wins for the union, which has been pushing for fully funded health care, raises and an overhaul to the district’s special education work mode. The agreement, which still must be ratified by union members and approved by the Board of Education, will be retroactive to July 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout negotiations, UESF demanded that the district cover 100% of premiums on the least expensive plan for educators with two or more dependents, which currently costs teachers about $1,500 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That amount of money is life-changing to us,” Ryan Alias, an English teacher at Balboa High School, said during a press conference Thursday. He and his wife are both public school teachers, and he has two children in SFUSD schools.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If we had that in our pocket, we would be able to save for retirement,” he said. “We would be able to save for college funds. We’d be able to save for student loans. We’d be able to pay for art classes for our kids. This is the thing that is going to keep educators in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning in January 2027, SFUSD will cover the full cost of premiums on its lowest-rate Kaiser Permanente plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the interim, it will also begin to provide some relief funding to educators with dependents in July, according to UESF Vice President Frank Lara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for wages, the district will give paraeducators — who work as school and classroom aides — an 8.5% raise over two years, with hikes of 4% this year and 4.5% next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Certificated educators — including teachers, social workers and counselors — will receive 2% raises in each of the next two years. When bargaining began, the union asked for 14% and 9% raises, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education paraeducators will receive an additional 5% salary increase, and classified employees, including security guards, will gain an additional floating holiday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security guards will also be offered full-time employment, which improves their benefit coverage options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Details about the special education workload changes are sparser. The district said it has committed to providing “additional support” for special educators, adding that the parties will “collaborate on an educator working group with budget authority to improve special education programs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union had requested that the district move from a caseload model, which allocates workload by student, to a workload mode, which factors in the work associated with the needs of each student, to reduce the burden on employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement Friday morning, Mayor Daniel Lurie thanked the bargaining teams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As San Francisco becomes increasingly out of reach for so many, we all understand that it is absolutely essential that our educators and their families feel truly supported. We should all be proud of how we’ve done that in this agreement,” he wrote via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said it signed the tentative agreement at 5:30 a.m. Friday, after more than 13 hours of bargaining that began Thursday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to the afternoon session, negotiations had hit a stalemate, as the district repeatedly said it was infeasible to fully cover health care, and the union refused to back down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>SFUSD has repeatedly cited a massive budget deficit, expected to be about $102 million this year, and said that because it is under state oversight, it cannot spend outside of its means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do not have a lot of money,” Su told reporters Wednesday. “We do not have enough funds to pay for this year and the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re slowly inching out of that, we are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until this week, the district had offered all educators a 6% raise over three years, with concessions. It also had said the union’s ask for fully funded health care, which will cost an estimated $14 million a year, was impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lara, the UESF vice president, said Friday’s deal reflects a different reality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wish it had not taken 11 months for the district to take us as seriously as they did,” Lara told reporters Friday morning. “The money that has been presented was money that we knew they had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, he said the new contract was a significant win and reflected a strong showing of support from the city over the last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it was difficult … for our members who have gone on strike, we’re ending it with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Shareyourstory\">\u003c/a>California is expensive. Share your story of how you get by\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table",
"title": "If SFUSD Teachers Get Their Way, District Suggests More Cuts Could Be on the Table",
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"headTitle": "If SFUSD Teachers Get Their Way, District Suggests More Cuts Could Be on the Table | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>With the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">San Francisco teachers strike\u003c/a> in its fourth day, a look across the bay to Contra Costa County could offer a glimpse at the future for the financially struggling district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators want the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> to step up its wage offer and fully fund family health care. And if the city’s last teachers strike in 1979 is any indication, the longer negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that the district will have to make significant concessions on the union’s demands to reach a deal and reopen schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But SFUSD said it’s facing dire fiscal constraints, and with budget planning for next year looming, Superintendent Maria Su has indicated that spending more on the teachers union contract could force the district to make deeper cuts than it already planned to this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single time we increase on one side, we have to decrease on the other side,” she told reporters on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s already playing out in Contra Costa County, where educators were granted similar contract demands — including 8% raises over two years and a plan to fully fund health care benefits by 2028 — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066588/west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week\">after a four-day strike\u003c/a> in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In community meetings last month, the West Contra Costa County Unified School District laid out bleak plans to slash 10% of its workforce and consider merging schools, blaming in part the cost of the new contract agreements: an estimated $106 million more than planned over the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067253\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067253\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valerie Aquino and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and marched to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The community has lifted up and said, ‘We support our teachers. We want them to have everything that they want,’” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said at a district committee meeting last month, the \u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2026/01/16/wccusd-considers-layoffs-and-60-million-budget-cut-to-cover-raises/\">\u003cem>Richmondside \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>. “This is what this looks like.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Associate Superintendent of Business Services Jeff Carter said the district planned to empty a “rainy day fund” — which includes reserve money beyond the state’s mandated amount — of about $28 million and borrow an additional $13 million a year from a pool of money it invests to pay for retiree health care benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, Carter said the district would still need to come up with about $60 million in reductions over three years through staffing and program reductions, including “rethinking” its kindergarten through eighth-grade school model, considering merging middle schools with fewer than 400 students, and realigning staffing to minimum required levels by closing vacant positions, not re-filling positions left empty through retirement, and potentially laying off workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>California is an expensive place to live. Are you feeling the pinch? \u003ca href=\"#Shareyourstory\">Share your story\u003c/a> with KQED by leaving us a voicemail at \u003ca href=\"tel:4155532115\">415-553-2115\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header\">clicking here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Carter said West Contra Costa Unified is also considering cutting 10% of educators, school support roles, administrators and district central office staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are choices that we have to make in order to meet the obligations that we are stepping into and agreeing to,” Cotton said. “My job is to come up with solutions to this deficit. The board is what makes the decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Unified has previously warned that it needs to cut more than $100 million from its ongoing expenditures for the second year in a row this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073226\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year’s reductions included hundreds of early retirement buyouts, a strict staffing model and administrative cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, the district took steps to reopen a conversation around possible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064746/sf-school-board-could-put-school-closures-back-on-the-table\">school closures\u003c/a>, more than a year after it shelved its botched plan to shutter or merge more than a dozen campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of those reductions were based on the district’s budget predictions without accounting for additional raises and benefit costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NNSxZPaiw4Qq7REJ0BNlldBl0qDEOHDV\">report from a neutral panel\u003c/a> earlier this month found that the union’s proposal to fully fund health care for families with two dependents would cost the district $14 million a year. Transitioning from a caseload to a workload model for special education staff would cost $11 million annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report also suggested that fully funded health care could be covered for the next three years through existing parcel tax funding, though that tax expires after three years.[aside postID=news_12072028 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-9-KQED.jpg']When asked on Wednesday if San Francisco could end up in a position similar to West Contra Costa with added contract costs, Su said, “That’s the reality of where we are at.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, United Educators of San Francisco said the district can afford to cover the union’s demands without making additional cuts. It pointed to a large “fund balance,” which is made up of money that the district has left over at the end of a budget year — usually because it brought in more revenue than expected. At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/status-sfusd-negotiations-uesf\">balance \u003c/a>was almost $430 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, the district set aside a financial reserve of about $110 million as a rainy-day fund, money that could — and, it argues, should — be spent now. California requires districts to maintain a reserve equivalent to 2% of their general fund, which for SFUSD would equal about $28 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said both the reserve and any existing fund balance should not be used for ongoing expenses like salaries and health care costs, since they represent one-time funding, but the union has argued that funding available today should be used for today’s students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a tale as old as time,” Curiel said, when asked about the possibility of cuts after a new contract deal is reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that districts often project a budget deficit and end up with a surplus by the end of the budget year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then suddenly they’ve got $400 million in reserve,” Curiel said. “Today’s dollars are in that account, and they need to be spent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Shareyourstory\">\u003c/a>California is expensive. Share your story of how you get by\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "With the teachers strike in its fourth day, SFUSD indicated that spending more on the union contract could force it to make deeper cuts. That’s already playing out in Contra Costa County.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">San Francisco teachers strike\u003c/a> in its fourth day, a look across the bay to Contra Costa County could offer a glimpse at the future for the financially struggling district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators want the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> to step up its wage offer and fully fund family health care. And if the city’s last teachers strike in 1979 is any indication, the longer negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that the district will have to make significant concessions on the union’s demands to reach a deal and reopen schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But SFUSD said it’s facing dire fiscal constraints, and with budget planning for next year looming, Superintendent Maria Su has indicated that spending more on the teachers union contract could force the district to make deeper cuts than it already planned to this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every single time we increase on one side, we have to decrease on the other side,” she told reporters on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s already playing out in Contra Costa County, where educators were granted similar contract demands — including 8% raises over two years and a plan to fully fund health care benefits by 2028 — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066588/west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week\">after a four-day strike\u003c/a> in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In community meetings last month, the West Contra Costa County Unified School District laid out bleak plans to slash 10% of its workforce and consider merging schools, blaming in part the cost of the new contract agreements: an estimated $106 million more than planned over the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067253\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067253\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valerie Aquino and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and marched to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The community has lifted up and said, ‘We support our teachers. We want them to have everything that they want,’” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said at a district committee meeting last month, the \u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2026/01/16/wccusd-considers-layoffs-and-60-million-budget-cut-to-cover-raises/\">\u003cem>Richmondside \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>. “This is what this looks like.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Associate Superintendent of Business Services Jeff Carter said the district planned to empty a “rainy day fund” — which includes reserve money beyond the state’s mandated amount — of about $28 million and borrow an additional $13 million a year from a pool of money it invests to pay for retiree health care benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, Carter said the district would still need to come up with about $60 million in reductions over three years through staffing and program reductions, including “rethinking” its kindergarten through eighth-grade school model, considering merging middle schools with fewer than 400 students, and realigning staffing to minimum required levels by closing vacant positions, not re-filling positions left empty through retirement, and potentially laying off workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>California is an expensive place to live. Are you feeling the pinch? \u003ca href=\"#Shareyourstory\">Share your story\u003c/a> with KQED by leaving us a voicemail at \u003ca href=\"tel:4155532115\">415-553-2115\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header\">clicking here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Carter said West Contra Costa Unified is also considering cutting 10% of educators, school support roles, administrators and district central office staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are choices that we have to make in order to meet the obligations that we are stepping into and agreeing to,” Cotton said. “My job is to come up with solutions to this deficit. The board is what makes the decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Unified has previously warned that it needs to cut more than $100 million from its ongoing expenditures for the second year in a row this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073226\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year’s reductions included hundreds of early retirement buyouts, a strict staffing model and administrative cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, the district took steps to reopen a conversation around possible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064746/sf-school-board-could-put-school-closures-back-on-the-table\">school closures\u003c/a>, more than a year after it shelved its botched plan to shutter or merge more than a dozen campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of those reductions were based on the district’s budget predictions without accounting for additional raises and benefit costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NNSxZPaiw4Qq7REJ0BNlldBl0qDEOHDV\">report from a neutral panel\u003c/a> earlier this month found that the union’s proposal to fully fund health care for families with two dependents would cost the district $14 million a year. 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When asked on Wednesday if San Francisco could end up in a position similar to West Contra Costa with added contract costs, Su said, “That’s the reality of where we are at.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, United Educators of San Francisco said the district can afford to cover the union’s demands without making additional cuts. It pointed to a large “fund balance,” which is made up of money that the district has left over at the end of a budget year — usually because it brought in more revenue than expected. At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/status-sfusd-negotiations-uesf\">balance \u003c/a>was almost $430 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, the district set aside a financial reserve of about $110 million as a rainy-day fund, money that could — and, it argues, should — be spent now. California requires districts to maintain a reserve equivalent to 2% of their general fund, which for SFUSD would equal about $28 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district said both the reserve and any existing fund balance should not be used for ongoing expenses like salaries and health care costs, since they represent one-time funding, but the union has argued that funding available today should be used for today’s students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a tale as old as time,” Curiel said, when asked about the possibility of cuts after a new contract deal is reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that districts often project a budget deficit and end up with a surplus by the end of the budget year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then suddenly they’ve got $400 million in reserve,” Curiel said. “Today’s dollars are in that account, and they need to be spent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Shareyourstory\">\u003c/a>California is expensive. Share your story of how you get by\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5v6Atf-zIWjJr8ZXgyOmDSRVu2kSdv4_RdPTIWLdBmnVoXg/viewform?usp=header'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As educators resume picket lines across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> on Wednesday, the city’s school district and teachers union are back at the bargaining table — and clashing over the state of negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the San Francisco Unified School District announced Wednesday evening that Thursday classes would be cancelled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a morning press conference, Superintendent Maria Su told reporters that United Educators of San Francisco left the bargaining table late Tuesday night, despite a new proposal from the district at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At 10 o’clock last night, we had a counter specifically addressing health care,” Su said, stressing that the district told union leaders they were prepared to continue through the night. “I have it ready to go. When they let us come into their room to negotiate, we will share that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union said in a message just after bargaining wrapped up around 10:30 p.m. that the district was to blame for lagging talks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SFUSD is the reason for the delay,” UESF said in a statement. “The district continues to show a lack of urgency to reach an agreement that centers on our students and their needs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties had a rare moment of consensus on Tuesday, when both said they’d made major progress — reaching tentative agreements around artificial intelligence regulation, contract language protecting immigrant families and a commitment to maintain and expand a current shelter program for unhoused students. The union also seemed amenable to a 10% wage hike for paraeducators over two years that came late Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073226\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But UESF said it’s still waiting on proposals that meet its demands around health care and special education working conditions, as well as a wage offer for teachers, social workers, counselors and other “certificated” staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we’ve seen movement towards an agreement that will bring our students back to classrooms, and made a few important steps on that path[,] we know there is more work to be done,” UESF’s statement reads. “What comes next is a matter of the district prioritizing classrooms, students and educators.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD has not elaborated on the wage and health care benefits it planned to present this morning, but its most recent offer included a commitment to fund 80% of health care premiums for families with two dependents, and extend paraeducators’ workday by an hour, in addition to the raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since negotiations began last March, the union has requested 9% raises for certificated staff and 14% for security guards and paraeducators, who work as teacher’s aides. They’re also requesting full benefit coverage and a change to the district’s special education caseload model to reduce the burden of work.[aside postID=news_12072028 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-9-KQED.jpg']The district had originally proposed a 2% raise for all educators — which is less than the state’s cost-of-living adjustment for the year. It came up to offer a 6% raise over two years for certificated staff last weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the stalemate surrounding special education and health care remains. SFUSD has repeatedly said it cannot meet the union’s asks because of its current budget crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is predicting a budget deficit of about $100 million next year, and is currently under state oversight. It has maintained that if it makes an offer beyond its financial means, it could be rejected by fiscal advisers. Su said on Wednesday that the district still has a negative budget certification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re slowly inching out of that,” Su said on Wednesday. “We are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals … it’s not just this year, it’s just next year. It’s about setting up this school district for many years to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the amount of funding the district really has at its disposal has been another point of contention with the union. UESF has pointed to a financial reserve of about $110 million that the district recently set aside as a rainy-day fund, as money that could — and, it argues, should — be spent now. California requires districts to maintain a reserve equivalent to 2% of its general fund, which for SFUSD would equal about $28 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s suggested the same of the district’s significant fund balance, which is made up of money that the district has left over at the end of a budget year — usually because it made more in revenue than it expected. At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/status-sfusd-negotiations-uesf\">balance \u003c/a>was almost $430 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see that they have a reserve of almost $400 million. We believe that today’s dollars are for today’s students,” union President Cassondra Curiel said at a rally on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the district said both of those pools of money serve different purposes, and are not to be used for ongoing expenses like salaries and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Using one-time fund balance for permanent raises creates a funding cliff,” it said in a statement on its website. “Once the one-time money runs out, the district would be forced to make even deeper cuts to classrooms and lay off more staff to cover the ongoing cost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district proposed earlier in negotiations contract language that would direct general fund balance money beyond $50 million at the end of the year toward educator bonuses. Su said the union rejected that offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations are planned to continue on throughout the day on Wednesday. As pressure mounts from parents struggling to manage days with their children home from school, and after Mayor Daniel Lurie and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond joined negotiators in the War Memorial Veterans building on Tuesday evening, Su has said her team is prepared to make a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are here. We are ready. We want to get this done,” Su said. “We need UESF to join us so that we can sign this agreement today and get our kids back into the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The teachers union said it’s still waiting on proposals that meet demands around health care and special education staffing. “We want to get this done,” Superintendent Maria Su said Wednesday.",
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"title": "San Francisco Teachers Strike Day 3: City’s Schools Stay Closed as Negotiations Drag On | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As educators resume picket lines across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> on Wednesday, the city’s school district and teachers union are back at the bargaining table — and clashing over the state of negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the San Francisco Unified School District announced Wednesday evening that Thursday classes would be cancelled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a morning press conference, Superintendent Maria Su told reporters that United Educators of San Francisco left the bargaining table late Tuesday night, despite a new proposal from the district at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At 10 o’clock last night, we had a counter specifically addressing health care,” Su said, stressing that the district told union leaders they were prepared to continue through the night. “I have it ready to go. When they let us come into their room to negotiate, we will share that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union said in a message just after bargaining wrapped up around 10:30 p.m. that the district was to blame for lagging talks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SFUSD is the reason for the delay,” UESF said in a statement. “The district continues to show a lack of urgency to reach an agreement that centers on our students and their needs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties had a rare moment of consensus on Tuesday, when both said they’d made major progress — reaching tentative agreements around artificial intelligence regulation, contract language protecting immigrant families and a commitment to maintain and expand a current shelter program for unhoused students. The union also seemed amenable to a 10% wage hike for paraeducators over two years that came late Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073226\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But UESF said it’s still waiting on proposals that meet its demands around health care and special education working conditions, as well as a wage offer for teachers, social workers, counselors and other “certificated” staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we’ve seen movement towards an agreement that will bring our students back to classrooms, and made a few important steps on that path[,] we know there is more work to be done,” UESF’s statement reads. “What comes next is a matter of the district prioritizing classrooms, students and educators.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD has not elaborated on the wage and health care benefits it planned to present this morning, but its most recent offer included a commitment to fund 80% of health care premiums for families with two dependents, and extend paraeducators’ workday by an hour, in addition to the raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since negotiations began last March, the union has requested 9% raises for certificated staff and 14% for security guards and paraeducators, who work as teacher’s aides. They’re also requesting full benefit coverage and a change to the district’s special education caseload model to reduce the burden of work.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The district had originally proposed a 2% raise for all educators — which is less than the state’s cost-of-living adjustment for the year. It came up to offer a 6% raise over two years for certificated staff last weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the stalemate surrounding special education and health care remains. SFUSD has repeatedly said it cannot meet the union’s asks because of its current budget crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is predicting a budget deficit of about $100 million next year, and is currently under state oversight. It has maintained that if it makes an offer beyond its financial means, it could be rejected by fiscal advisers. Su said on Wednesday that the district still has a negative budget certification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re slowly inching out of that,” Su said on Wednesday. “We are on the right path to fiscal solvency, and so we need to be responsible with the deals … it’s not just this year, it’s just next year. It’s about setting up this school district for many years to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the amount of funding the district really has at its disposal has been another point of contention with the union. UESF has pointed to a financial reserve of about $110 million that the district recently set aside as a rainy-day fund, as money that could — and, it argues, should — be spent now. California requires districts to maintain a reserve equivalent to 2% of its general fund, which for SFUSD would equal about $28 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s suggested the same of the district’s significant fund balance, which is made up of money that the district has left over at the end of a budget year — usually because it made more in revenue than it expected. At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/status-sfusd-negotiations-uesf\">balance \u003c/a>was almost $430 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see that they have a reserve of almost $400 million. We believe that today’s dollars are for today’s students,” union President Cassondra Curiel said at a rally on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the district said both of those pools of money serve different purposes, and are not to be used for ongoing expenses like salaries and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Using one-time fund balance for permanent raises creates a funding cliff,” it said in a statement on its website. “Once the one-time money runs out, the district would be forced to make even deeper cuts to classrooms and lay off more staff to cover the ongoing cost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district proposed earlier in negotiations contract language that would direct general fund balance money beyond $50 million at the end of the year toward educator bonuses. Su said the union rejected that offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations are planned to continue on throughout the day on Wednesday. As pressure mounts from parents struggling to manage days with their children home from school, and after Mayor Daniel Lurie and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond joined negotiators in the War Memorial Veterans building on Tuesday evening, Su has said her team is prepared to make a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are here. We are ready. We want to get this done,” Su said. “We need UESF to join us so that we can sign this agreement today and get our kids back into the classroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-sfusd-teachers-strike-goes-on-heres-what-itll-take-to-end-it",
"title": "The SFUSD Teachers Strike Goes On. Here’s What It’ll Take to End It",
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"headTitle": "The SFUSD Teachers Strike Goes On. Here’s What It’ll Take to End It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco’s public schools are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072729/san-francisco-teachers-walk-out-in-first-strike-in-nearly-50-years\">closed for the third day in a row\u003c/a> Wednesday, as a path to end the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072392/san-francisco-teachers-will-call-for-a-strike-next-week\">teachers’ strike\u003c/a> remains elusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union says it won’t back down without contract proposals that meet its core demands on wages and health care, while the district argues it cannot spend beyond a tight budget. So far, the union seems to be enjoying a groundswell of support from district families and city residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, elected officials are increasingly pleading with both sides to come to an agreement and reopen schools. Members of the Board of Education joined negotiations at the War Memorial Veterans Building in downtown San Francisco throughout the day Tuesday, and Mayor Daniel Lurie arrived around 5 p.m. to meet with Superintendent Maria Su and United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can get a deal done and they need to get the deal done,” he said leaving around 7 p.m. “The last two days have been very productive and I want them to get to a deal so our kids, our students can get back into the classroom where they can continue to learn and thrive. That is, I think, all of our goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier in the day, union leaders said that while the district is stepping up its offers at the bargaining table, it’s not enough. So far in negotiations on Tuesday morning, the district moved its offer on health care from covering 75% of premiums to 80%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Not enough. We walk the line until it’s 100%,” Nathalie Hrizi, United Educators of San Francisco’s vice president of substitutes, said to loud cheers from the crowd of thousands gathered at a rainy rally at Dolores Park. “We walk the line until special education has a workload model. We walk the line until paraeducators and certificated staff get the raise we deserve to stay in our city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that the district was “still not ready” to meet the union’s outstanding demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s negotiations came after bargaining teams met late into the night Monday for what Balboa High School math teacher Ryan Alias called the most productive bargaining session since October.[aside postID=news_12072735 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260209-SFUSDSTRIKE-19-BL-KQED.jpg']“We’ve seen movement today that we haven’t seen in 11 months of bargaining,” he told KQED Monday, after the hourslong session wrapped up around 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For once, district officials echoed the union’s assessment of bargaining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made a lot of progress last night working with our partners, and we started early this morning to continue to hammer out some of these last remaining issues,” Superintendent Maria Su told reporters Tuesday. “I continue to believe that we can come together in good faith and reach an agreement that is fair, responsible and sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties have been negotiating a new contract since last March, and educators have been working under an expired deal since July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For months, negotiations yielded little movement from either side. UESF had proposed 9% raises for classroom teachers and 14% raises for paraeducators; fully funded health care for educators’ families; changes to the district’s special education staffing model; and a few no-cost proposals related to immigration and housing protections for families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> has maintained that those demands aren’t feasible given its budget crisis — with a $100 million deficit projected for next year. Until this past weekend, the district had only offered a 2% raise for each of the next three years, with concessions from educators, including giving up a sabbatical program and additional preparation periods for those who teach Advanced Placement courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as the strike loomed over the weekend, the school district accepted some of the union’s no-cost proposals, and on day one of the work stoppage, it offered its most significant raise for some staff: a 10% raise over two years for paraeducators and school security guards, and an additional hour of work per day for paraeducators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was significantly higher than the district said was possible,” Alias said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco State University labor historian John Logan, that movement — and the thousands of people who turned out to picket lines and a rally outside City Hall — sends a message: So far, the city has teachers’ backs, and they have the leverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really unusually large, and the atmosphere was sort of unusually steadfast and resolved and determined,” Logan said. “For the time being, [educators] have very significant support in the community and amongst parents. So I think the pressure [is] on the school district to come up with an offer — not just an improved offer — but an offer that is acceptable to the teachers union.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073055\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aztec dancers perform during a rally of teachers, faculty, and supporters on the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alias said the union’s bargaining team has been invigorated by the community support, and while the district’s proposal on some wage hikes was a win, it will take more for the union to accept a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To end the strike, he said, “We need higher wages. We need fully funded family health care. And we need the district to take the stability crisis in our special education staffing seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alias said the union wouldn’t decide whether to accept the proposed raise for classified staff until it sees the district’s wage proposals for other educators, as well as those addressing special education workloads and health benefits.[aside postID=news_12072028 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-9-KQED.jpg']“It’s really difficult to see how this will be settled unless the school district comes up with a significantly better offer,” said Logan, the SFSU labor historian. “Something that teachers think, ‘Yes, this isn’t everything we want, but this is enough, and we’ve achieved enough of our goals and … we have sufficiently achieved our aims at this point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think that will happen, but absent that, I don’t think there’s any settlement in the near future,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite recent progress, Alias said UESF leaders are frustrated that the district still hasn’t made an offer to fully cover health care, which costs a family of four up to $1,550 a month after rates increased this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union made that demand months ago, but he said on Monday night, UESF was told that SFUSD would meet with the city’s Health Service System on Tuesday to get cost estimates for the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They hadn’t done their homework,” Alias told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an alternative to SFUSD’s offer to cover a percentage of premiums, it’s also proposed an annual benefit allowance of $24,000 for educators to spend on health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters march from Dolores Park to City Hall during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the sides continue to negotiate, city departments have stepped in to offer some extended programming for about 1,000 of the district’s most vulnerable students, and served more than 3,000 meals at temporary distribution centers on Monday. Parents are also piecing together \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072735/san-francisco-parents-scramble-for-child-care-amid-teachers-strike\">alternative child care\u003c/a>, keeping kids busy with educational activities and trying to get through math and grammar worksheets in instructional packets sent out by the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those challenges could grow as the strike goes on, and while community support for the union appears strong at the moment, Ohio State University political science professor Vladimir Kogan warned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco was a sort of “cautionary tale” of when that support wanes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city “had a recall just a few years ago, in part because much of the community really turned on the school board in some of the things that they were doing at the behest of the teachers union,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, three \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904879/sf-school-board-recall-results-alison-collins-gabriela-lopez-and-faauuga-moliga-headed-for-recall\">school board members were recalled\u003c/a>, in part over their reluctance to reopen campuses during the 2020-2021 school year, while pushing forward a racial justice effort to rename certain district schools and end merit-based enrollment at Lowell High School.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073010\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters march during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike near Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco’s Sunset District on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"background-color: transparent;\">“The memory of the recall is probably still pretty fresh and it shows you just how quickly opinion can turn,” Kogan said. “Particularly, when the public comes to believe that the interest of the teachers are not the same as the interest of the students.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su said Tuesday morning that the district recognizes the urgency to reach a full agreement and end the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand the strain and the difficulties that school closure is placing on parents, on students and on the community,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the state reimburses school districts based on daily attendance, every day that campuses are closed also costs the district $7 million to $10 million, according to Su.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "The SFUSD Teachers Strike Goes On. Here’s What It’ll Take to End It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco’s public schools are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072729/san-francisco-teachers-walk-out-in-first-strike-in-nearly-50-years\">closed for the third day in a row\u003c/a> Wednesday, as a path to end the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072392/san-francisco-teachers-will-call-for-a-strike-next-week\">teachers’ strike\u003c/a> remains elusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union says it won’t back down without contract proposals that meet its core demands on wages and health care, while the district argues it cannot spend beyond a tight budget. So far, the union seems to be enjoying a groundswell of support from district families and city residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, elected officials are increasingly pleading with both sides to come to an agreement and reopen schools. Members of the Board of Education joined negotiations at the War Memorial Veterans Building in downtown San Francisco throughout the day Tuesday, and Mayor Daniel Lurie arrived around 5 p.m. to meet with Superintendent Maria Su and United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can get a deal done and they need to get the deal done,” he said leaving around 7 p.m. “The last two days have been very productive and I want them to get to a deal so our kids, our students can get back into the classroom where they can continue to learn and thrive. That is, I think, all of our goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier in the day, union leaders said that while the district is stepping up its offers at the bargaining table, it’s not enough. So far in negotiations on Tuesday morning, the district moved its offer on health care from covering 75% of premiums to 80%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Not enough. We walk the line until it’s 100%,” Nathalie Hrizi, United Educators of San Francisco’s vice president of substitutes, said to loud cheers from the crowd of thousands gathered at a rainy rally at Dolores Park. “We walk the line until special education has a workload model. We walk the line until paraeducators and certificated staff get the raise we deserve to stay in our city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that the district was “still not ready” to meet the union’s outstanding demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s negotiations came after bargaining teams met late into the night Monday for what Balboa High School math teacher Ryan Alias called the most productive bargaining session since October.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We’ve seen movement today that we haven’t seen in 11 months of bargaining,” he told KQED Monday, after the hourslong session wrapped up around 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For once, district officials echoed the union’s assessment of bargaining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made a lot of progress last night working with our partners, and we started early this morning to continue to hammer out some of these last remaining issues,” Superintendent Maria Su told reporters Tuesday. “I continue to believe that we can come together in good faith and reach an agreement that is fair, responsible and sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties have been negotiating a new contract since last March, and educators have been working under an expired deal since July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For months, negotiations yielded little movement from either side. UESF had proposed 9% raises for classroom teachers and 14% raises for paraeducators; fully funded health care for educators’ families; changes to the district’s special education staffing model; and a few no-cost proposals related to immigration and housing protections for families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> has maintained that those demands aren’t feasible given its budget crisis — with a $100 million deficit projected for next year. Until this past weekend, the district had only offered a 2% raise for each of the next three years, with concessions from educators, including giving up a sabbatical program and additional preparation periods for those who teach Advanced Placement courses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters gather for a rally during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as the strike loomed over the weekend, the school district accepted some of the union’s no-cost proposals, and on day one of the work stoppage, it offered its most significant raise for some staff: a 10% raise over two years for paraeducators and school security guards, and an additional hour of work per day for paraeducators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was significantly higher than the district said was possible,” Alias said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco State University labor historian John Logan, that movement — and the thousands of people who turned out to picket lines and a rally outside City Hall — sends a message: So far, the city has teachers’ backs, and they have the leverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really unusually large, and the atmosphere was sort of unusually steadfast and resolved and determined,” Logan said. “For the time being, [educators] have very significant support in the community and amongst parents. So I think the pressure [is] on the school district to come up with an offer — not just an improved offer — but an offer that is acceptable to the teachers union.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073055\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aztec dancers perform during a rally of teachers, faculty, and supporters on the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alias said the union’s bargaining team has been invigorated by the community support, and while the district’s proposal on some wage hikes was a win, it will take more for the union to accept a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To end the strike, he said, “We need higher wages. We need fully funded family health care. And we need the district to take the stability crisis in our special education staffing seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alias said the union wouldn’t decide whether to accept the proposed raise for classified staff until it sees the district’s wage proposals for other educators, as well as those addressing special education workloads and health benefits.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s really difficult to see how this will be settled unless the school district comes up with a significantly better offer,” said Logan, the SFSU labor historian. “Something that teachers think, ‘Yes, this isn’t everything we want, but this is enough, and we’ve achieved enough of our goals and … we have sufficiently achieved our aims at this point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think that will happen, but absent that, I don’t think there’s any settlement in the near future,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite recent progress, Alias said UESF leaders are frustrated that the district still hasn’t made an offer to fully cover health care, which costs a family of four up to $1,550 a month after rates increased this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union made that demand months ago, but he said on Monday night, UESF was told that SFUSD would meet with the city’s Health Service System on Tuesday to get cost estimates for the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They hadn’t done their homework,” Alias told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an alternative to SFUSD’s offer to cover a percentage of premiums, it’s also proposed an annual benefit allowance of $24,000 for educators to spend on health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-54-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters march from Dolores Park to City Hall during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the sides continue to negotiate, city departments have stepped in to offer some extended programming for about 1,000 of the district’s most vulnerable students, and served more than 3,000 meals at temporary distribution centers on Monday. Parents are also piecing together \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072735/san-francisco-parents-scramble-for-child-care-amid-teachers-strike\">alternative child care\u003c/a>, keeping kids busy with educational activities and trying to get through math and grammar worksheets in instructional packets sent out by the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those challenges could grow as the strike goes on, and while community support for the union appears strong at the moment, Ohio State University political science professor Vladimir Kogan warned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco was a sort of “cautionary tale” of when that support wanes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city “had a recall just a few years ago, in part because much of the community really turned on the school board in some of the things that they were doing at the behest of the teachers union,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, three \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904879/sf-school-board-recall-results-alison-collins-gabriela-lopez-and-faauuga-moliga-headed-for-recall\">school board members were recalled\u003c/a>, in part over their reluctance to reopen campuses during the 2020-2021 school year, while pushing forward a racial justice effort to rename certain district schools and end merit-based enrollment at Lowell High School.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073010\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDSTRIKEDAY2-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, faculty, and supporters march during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike near Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco’s Sunset District on Feb. 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"background-color: transparent;\">“The memory of the recall is probably still pretty fresh and it shows you just how quickly opinion can turn,” Kogan said. “Particularly, when the public comes to believe that the interest of the teachers are not the same as the interest of the students.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su said Tuesday morning that the district recognizes the urgency to reach a full agreement and end the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand the strain and the difficulties that school closure is placing on parents, on students and on the community,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the state reimburses school districts based on daily attendance, every day that campuses are closed also costs the district $7 million to $10 million, according to Su.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Carrie Esqueda’s injured knee has hurt since last summer, sometimes agonizingly so. It hurts when she tries to walk in her hilly Riverside County neighborhood and show homes to real estate clients. The 57-year-old misses the regular one-hour strolls with friends that kept her healthy and fit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After months waiting for a high-demand surgery at Kaiser Permanente to repair her torn meniscus, Esqueda said the procedure was scheduled for Jan. 29. But the night before, the nonprofit health care organization called with bad news: Her operation was canceled due to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">an employee strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was absolutely devastated. I literally wanted to cry,” Esqueda said. “I am in constant pain. I cannot really walk without a knee brace because it always feels like it’s going to buckle. So I’ve been in a bad situation. And now, who knows how long it’ll take.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esqueda is one of a growing number of patients reporting delays in care as a labor conflict intensifies at Kaiser, rippling across California and Hawaii, with no contract deal in sight. Meanwhile, the ranks of up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists and other health care workers striking for a third week over staffing levels and compensation swelled on Monday, as thousands more employees walked off pharmacy and laboratory jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care giant, which has kept most of its facilities open, declined requests for more information on how many procedures it has postponed since the strike began on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has relocated staffers to affected hospitals and medical offices, and hired temporary workers, a mounting expense that could add up to millions of dollars per week. Some pharmacies will close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072988\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Esqueda wears a knee brace at home in Wildomar on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser Permanente remains committed to its nurses, employees, and patients and focused on reaching a fair agreement that recognizes employees’ value while protecting access to affordable, quality care for the members and patients who rely on us every day,” a company statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Kaiser said its doctors, nurses and contingency personnel are working to meet members’ needs, the nurse anesthetists and other highly specialized professionals who are on the picket lines can be hard to replace. Disruptions are especially affecting patients in Southern California, where most of the workers on strike are based.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of cancer patients have said on social media that their chemotherapy treatments were canceled or moved with little warning to non-Kaiser facilities that required further travel, while others described deserted hospital halls and long pharmacy wait lines. Several patients told KQED that their postponed hip replacement and other surgeries due to the staffing shortages left them depressed and struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel angry and hopeless because my surgery has been delayed by five weeks, and that’s five more weeks of my life waiting to get back to normal,” said Kayla Howell, whose Jan. 27 operation to repair a torn ACL was rescheduled to March. “Having that taken away, you realize, ‘Oh my God, I use my leg for everything, even taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful.’”[aside postID=news_12070141 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Emmas-room-2.jpg']The 27-year-old kindergarten teacher assistant in San José had enlisted her mother to travel from Ireland to help with post-surgery recovery, including the weeks Howell must spend on crutches. But the setback upended those plans, as rebooking her mother’s flight and lodging would cost hundreds more dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just so frustrating because we just want care, and we deserve care. I pay my health insurance, and I pay my premiums, and where is that money going?” she said, adding that she wants Kaiser executives to work urgently to resolve the strike. “Help people get care, because that’s what their company is supposed to be for. But instead, people are suffering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, labor negotiations are at a standstill, with both parties accusing each other of halting progress. Kaiser is refusing to meet with national union negotiators, saying it is shifting unresolved contract issues to local bargaining tables. The union, which has called that move illegal, filed a federal unfair labor practices complaint against Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union-represented employees want a 25% raise over a four-year contract, with no cuts to pensions and other benefits, as well as more input on scheduling and staffing ratios. The company, which has dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or declining patient care, has stuck for months to its offer to increase wages by 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve put all of these years into this company, and to see that it has come to this, it’s very overwhelming and it’s heartbreaking,” said Christina Thomas, a 40-year-old pharmacy technician with the United Food and Commercial Workers who walked off the job this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mother of two said wages have not kept up with inflation, while she and co-workers struggle to fill thousands of prescriptions daily at a Lancaster pharmacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11963409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11963409\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt='A large modern building with the words \"Kaiser Permanente\" across the top.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, we are striking for our patients, and so that Kaiser can wake up and come back to the table,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a nonprofit health plan and care provider, Kaiser reinvests its revenue into facilities and services for patients. The organization, founded in 1945, has grown to serve more than 12 million people in eight states and the District of Columbia, emphasizing preventive care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Company executives argue that greater wage raises are unsustainable and would increase members’ premiums at a time when massive budget cuts to Medicaid and other federal policies could make insurance unaffordable for millions of Americans. Under the Trump administration, Kaiser and other health care systems face an uncertain financial forecast with potential revenue losses and increased costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the work stoppage drags on in California, where most Kaiser customers are located, the company risks increasing reputational damage among not only its patients but also its workforce, resulting in longer-term costs, according to health care business experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073048\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073048 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Esqueda at home in Wildomar, California, on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The bigger economic risk isn’t what the strike costs this week, but it’s what happens if workforce distrust becomes structural at Kaiser, because you will get higher turnover, you’re going to have higher recruitment costs,” said Michael Skolnik, academic director of the Dominican University of California’s health care executive MBA program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patients like Alice Gallagher sympathize with the strikers but fear further disruptions. Last week, the San Diego County clarinetist said she was temporarily unable to order her medication for epilepsy via the Kaiser app. She tried calling her local pharmacy and then a regional number, she said, but nobody would help her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher, 46, started to panic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I don’t have my medication, I end up in the hospital… because my seizures are so bad once they get out of control,” she said, adding that, as she can’t drive, it would take her hours to travel on paratransit to visit her pharmacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was later able to order her prescriptions online. But the experience left her wondering about other vulnerable patients in need of timely care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had my moment of panic,” she said. “But for someone who’s just been diagnosed with something and feels overwhelmed, or someone who has cancer and then they are at the mercy of this stalemate in the negotiations, that’s who’s really suffering. That’s what’s really tough here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esqueda, the real estate agent with a torn meniscus, said that she’s watching the news daily, hoping that Kaiser ends the strike so that she can get the surgery she needs to heal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just praying that they get to some resolution,” Esqueda said. “I hope they listen and take into consideration that there are people’s lives that are being turned upside down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Carrie Esqueda’s injured knee has hurt since last summer, sometimes agonizingly so. It hurts when she tries to walk in her hilly Riverside County neighborhood and show homes to real estate clients. The 57-year-old misses the regular one-hour strolls with friends that kept her healthy and fit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After months waiting for a high-demand surgery at Kaiser Permanente to repair her torn meniscus, Esqueda said the procedure was scheduled for Jan. 29. But the night before, the nonprofit health care organization called with bad news: Her operation was canceled due to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">an employee strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was absolutely devastated. I literally wanted to cry,” Esqueda said. “I am in constant pain. I cannot really walk without a knee brace because it always feels like it’s going to buckle. So I’ve been in a bad situation. And now, who knows how long it’ll take.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esqueda is one of a growing number of patients reporting delays in care as a labor conflict intensifies at Kaiser, rippling across California and Hawaii, with no contract deal in sight. Meanwhile, the ranks of up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists and other health care workers striking for a third week over staffing levels and compensation swelled on Monday, as thousands more employees walked off pharmacy and laboratory jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care giant, which has kept most of its facilities open, declined requests for more information on how many procedures it has postponed since the strike began on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company has relocated staffers to affected hospitals and medical offices, and hired temporary workers, a mounting expense that could add up to millions of dollars per week. Some pharmacies will close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072988\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8239B-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Esqueda wears a knee brace at home in Wildomar on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser Permanente remains committed to its nurses, employees, and patients and focused on reaching a fair agreement that recognizes employees’ value while protecting access to affordable, quality care for the members and patients who rely on us every day,” a company statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Kaiser said its doctors, nurses and contingency personnel are working to meet members’ needs, the nurse anesthetists and other highly specialized professionals who are on the picket lines can be hard to replace. Disruptions are especially affecting patients in Southern California, where most of the workers on strike are based.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of cancer patients have said on social media that their chemotherapy treatments were canceled or moved with little warning to non-Kaiser facilities that required further travel, while others described deserted hospital halls and long pharmacy wait lines. Several patients told KQED that their postponed hip replacement and other surgeries due to the staffing shortages left them depressed and struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel angry and hopeless because my surgery has been delayed by five weeks, and that’s five more weeks of my life waiting to get back to normal,” said Kayla Howell, whose Jan. 27 operation to repair a torn ACL was rescheduled to March. “Having that taken away, you realize, ‘Oh my God, I use my leg for everything, even taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful.’”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The 27-year-old kindergarten teacher assistant in San José had enlisted her mother to travel from Ireland to help with post-surgery recovery, including the weeks Howell must spend on crutches. But the setback upended those plans, as rebooking her mother’s flight and lodging would cost hundreds more dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just so frustrating because we just want care, and we deserve care. I pay my health insurance, and I pay my premiums, and where is that money going?” she said, adding that she wants Kaiser executives to work urgently to resolve the strike. “Help people get care, because that’s what their company is supposed to be for. But instead, people are suffering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, labor negotiations are at a standstill, with both parties accusing each other of halting progress. Kaiser is refusing to meet with national union negotiators, saying it is shifting unresolved contract issues to local bargaining tables. The union, which has called that move illegal, filed a federal unfair labor practices complaint against Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union-represented employees want a 25% raise over a four-year contract, with no cuts to pensions and other benefits, as well as more input on scheduling and staffing ratios. The company, which has dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or declining patient care, has stuck for months to its offer to increase wages by 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve put all of these years into this company, and to see that it has come to this, it’s very overwhelming and it’s heartbreaking,” said Christina Thomas, a 40-year-old pharmacy technician with the United Food and Commercial Workers who walked off the job this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mother of two said wages have not kept up with inflation, while she and co-workers struggle to fill thousands of prescriptions daily at a Lancaster pharmacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11963409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11963409\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt='A large modern building with the words \"Kaiser Permanente\" across the top.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-MD-10-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, we are striking for our patients, and so that Kaiser can wake up and come back to the table,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a nonprofit health plan and care provider, Kaiser reinvests its revenue into facilities and services for patients. The organization, founded in 1945, has grown to serve more than 12 million people in eight states and the District of Columbia, emphasizing preventive care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Company executives argue that greater wage raises are unsustainable and would increase members’ premiums at a time when massive budget cuts to Medicaid and other federal policies could make insurance unaffordable for millions of Americans. Under the Trump administration, Kaiser and other health care systems face an uncertain financial forecast with potential revenue losses and increased costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the work stoppage drags on in California, where most Kaiser customers are located, the company risks increasing reputational damage among not only its patients but also its workforce, resulting in longer-term costs, according to health care business experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073048\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073048 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8223B-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Esqueda at home in Wildomar, California, on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The bigger economic risk isn’t what the strike costs this week, but it’s what happens if workforce distrust becomes structural at Kaiser, because you will get higher turnover, you’re going to have higher recruitment costs,” said Michael Skolnik, academic director of the Dominican University of California’s health care executive MBA program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patients like Alice Gallagher sympathize with the strikers but fear further disruptions. Last week, the San Diego County clarinetist said she was temporarily unable to order her medication for epilepsy via the Kaiser app. She tried calling her local pharmacy and then a regional number, she said, but nobody would help her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher, 46, started to panic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I don’t have my medication, I end up in the hospital… because my seizures are so bad once they get out of control,” she said, adding that, as she can’t drive, it would take her hours to travel on paratransit to visit her pharmacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was later able to order her prescriptions online. But the experience left her wondering about other vulnerable patients in need of timely care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had my moment of panic,” she said. “But for someone who’s just been diagnosed with something and feels overwhelmed, or someone who has cancer and then they are at the mercy of this stalemate in the negotiations, that’s who’s really suffering. That’s what’s really tough here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esqueda, the real estate agent with a torn meniscus, said that she’s watching the news daily, hoping that Kaiser ends the strike so that she can get the surgery she needs to heal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just praying that they get to some resolution,” Esqueda said. “I hope they listen and take into consideration that there are people’s lives that are being turned upside down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "2026-san-francisco-teachers-strike-sfusd-when-sf-union-childcare-after-school-programs-meals",
"title": "SFUSD Teachers Strike: Where Can Families Find Child Care and Meals?",
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"headTitle": "SFUSD Teachers Strike: Where Can Families Find Child Care and Meals? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>For the first time in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">nearly 50 years\u003c/a>, San Francisco teachers began\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072392/san-francisco-teachers-will-call-for-a-strike-next-week\"> striking this Monday\u003c/a>. Now in its second day, the strike has halted work for teachers, counselors, nurses and social workers — and shuttered more than 110 district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After nearly a year of tense contract negotiations between the San Francisco Unified School District and the United Educators of San Francisco union, the two sides \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059537/as-deficit-looms-sf-public-school-teachers-threaten-strike-over-fair-contracts\">reached an impasse\u003c/a> in the fall. The union says educators need higher wages that keep up with the rising cost of Bay Area living and fully-funded family health care. The district, however, argues its dire budget crisis makes meeting those demands an impossibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike comes amid a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025440/schools-face-cuts-california-teachers-unions-band-together-demands'\">coordinated campaign across California\u003c/a> by teachers unions with similar demands. And it’s not the first time Bay Area teachers have mobilized in recent years: Oakland teachers went on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949458/oakland-teachers-strike-ends-as-union-reaches-agreement-with-school-district\">strike in 2023\u003c/a>, and almost went to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038227/oakland-teachers-strike-called-off-after-union-reaches-deal-school-district\">the picket line again in 2025\u003c/a>. West Contra Costa County teachers held \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">a four-day strike in December\u003c/a> that ended after the district offered them 8% raises and fully-funded health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is the first time since 1979 that San Francisco teachers have walked off the job and to the picket lines. Hundreds of custodial and food service workers, principals and administrators are\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072729/san-francisco-teachers-walk-out-in-first-strike-in-nearly-50-years\"> also joining in a sympathy strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the lack of recent precedent for a strike like this means that parents and caregivers with kids currently in SFUSD won’t have much experience with exactly what to do when their schools are going through labor negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From free meals to child care support, keep reading to see what union organizers, teachers, school officials and parents say about what families should expect during the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhatoptionsdoSanFranciscofamilieshaveforchildcareduringastrike\">What options do San Francisco families have for child care during a strike?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whataboutchildrenwhorelyonfreemealsatschool\">What about children who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What do we know about school closures during the SFUSD strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The strike begins Monday, and the district’s 111 non-charter schools are closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF announced the decision to strike on Thursday morning in an email to its members, also sending a formal notice to the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We did not come to this decision lightly,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said at a press conference Thursday morning. “It is up to the district to come [to the bargaining table] with a serious proposal to solve the stability crisis. If not, it will be up to the thousands of educators of UESF to do what few of us have done before and take the next step onto the picket lines on Monday morning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Without the 6,000 teachers, paraeducators, social workers and counselors represented by United Educators of San Francisco — and announcements from the unions that represent the possibility that administrators and other campus workers will refuse to cross picket lines — Superintendent Maria Su said schools will not be able to open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If schools stayed open, students who attend would have continued to be supervised, but instruction would likely have not continued as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that parents are stressed right now by this decision to possibly strike. And we don’t want to strike,” Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, a physical education teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and a union member, said earlier this week. “It’s very intense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also this week, Su guaranteed that the district would meet its requirement of 180 school days, which might mean extending the school year beyond \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zu3XmotsMkdDtc6PuIwe9fsu-NsGSqn0/view\">the currently scheduled closing day of June 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are the district and union still negotiating to avoid a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFUSD and UESF met for a bargaining session Thursday, and the district proposed a new deal. It was rejected by the union, which called it “disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re set to bargain again on Tuesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Which San Francisco schools could be most affected by the strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/schools/directory\">all schools \u003c/a>closed Monday, the impacts of the strike could start to vary depending on how long the action lasts.[aside postID=news_12072599 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-13-KQED.jpg']During the 1979 strike, for example, some schools reopened before others, and also operated differently depending on what staff they had available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has said that whether a campus can open will depend on its available staffing and that a school requires an administrator to open and close the campus, along with custodial services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staff would also be needed to supervise students, and food service workers would need to be on hand to provide meals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s administrators and janitors are both members of different unions. But both have declared sympathy strikes, meaning they will not cross picket lines in solidarity with teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has suggested that families stay in close contact with their school’s educators and create group communication channels through apps like WhatsApp or Signal to discuss their school-specific details.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhatoptionsdoSanFranciscofamilieshaveforchildcareduringastrike\">\u003c/a>What options do working families have for child care during this time?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The closure of San Francisco schools because of the strike could put parents in a logistical bind when it comes to their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFUSD’s options\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s website says that there is temporary child care for students under the age of 5, and parents should reach out to referral partners to help connect them to options. The contacts are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/childrenscouncil?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZa6WwXHKy-yFNKlFEhbpx4kwNWDCHBUyMMCzJ8DH8NNpWyaa4Bod4i7r8tHmOMkGsfMQgD9YpG_uFPbcu5-1IoQsld6byTgIGFH27JWPWQUCmL4BN0DMbkvT9Ld4xiMKQROKJqIBXu7UbeNy_QGQlcsG2jz_Zx4HIoSd1oNVt-Xww&__tn__=-%5dK-R\">Children’s Council\u003c/a>: 415-343-3300 or \u003ca href=\"mailto:rr@childrenscouncil.org\">rr@childrenscouncil.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/WuYeeOrg?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZa6WwXHKy-yFNKlFEhbpx4kwNWDCHBUyMMCzJ8DH8NNpWyaa4Bod4i7r8tHmOMkGsfMQgD9YpG_uFPbcu5-1IoQsld6byTgIGFH27JWPWQUCmL4BN0DMbkvT9Ld4xiMKQROKJqIBXu7UbeNy_QGQlcsG2jz_Zx4HIoSd1oNVt-Xww&__tn__=-%5dK-R\">Wu Yee Children’s Services\u003c/a>: 1-844-644-4300 or \u003ca href=\"mailto:randr@wuyee.org\">randr@wuyee.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For other age groups, SFUSD has \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ecLWahYrM0OedreZon-1JcIzeWxANctCjjYfKDEZusM/edit?tab=t.0\">a list of vetted organizations\u003c/a> providing activities and supervision for children. Space is extremely limited, however.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058782\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058782\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks during a press conference at Sanchez Elementary School on the first day of classes for the new school year in San Francisco on Aug. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The district also has a list of state-funded community organizations \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eUNCkN4b3OSxIkIzMBebpzKMaKuwNnM4xvX3cOm6T2w/edit?tab=t.0\">providing academic and recreation support\u003c/a> off-site. (Meals may also be provided.) Priority access is given to students whose families qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits, are foster youth or homeless youth, or are English language learners. The document is also available in:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/13u7JYgXyPI12zrtZlyBuiZ07y7SIdycRVAkxO-kewbE/edit?tab=t.0\">Spanish\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oaHn_0ftnpOhpScuY7GqAfm4fPlkKuFHMgMIHbH0icY/edit?tab=t.0\">Arabic\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIP2gMRrmkF_AvbhYt2-Xl_YvHiEpvSO6z6Azh-OETg/edit?tab=t.0\">Chinese\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qM-qOw6qfsi8cWUz2fH4qro5mZbP-oxSFa8op6DPS2U/edit?tab=t.0\">Samoan\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1608z0Ys9EJUgic8JmF9cWowvTMjKVdFFiXDzJDMNCWM/edit?tab=t.0\">Tagalog\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sasg-9-p8Hk1Gmn3SZOm1py8GnPdy4RO_MDtoRyhcEE/edit?tab=t.0\">Vietnamese\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Union options\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has invited parents to bring their children and join picket lines, and the union also said it is in contact with community partner organizations that are “assessing their capacity” to expand child care offerings throughout the school day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>After-school programming\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072599/sf-schools-will-close-if-teachers-strike-heres-how-city-hall-plans-to-step-in\">parents should reach out to their after-school care providers \u003c/a>directly for information on their options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A program your child is already part of may be providing extended services. The San Francisco Beacon Initiative works with local nonprofits — including the YMCA of Greater San Francisco and the Boys and Girls Club — to run after-school programs at 27 SFUSD schools, including all of the district’s middle schools and its highest-need elementary schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sally Jenkins-Stevens, the Beacon Initiative’s executive director, said that all these partners are looking into the feasibility of offering all-day care for students, though any services they can provide would likely be for some of the children already enrolled in their after-school programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some other organizations, she said, are simply limited by space. Many use campus facilities, and it’s unclear whether they would be able to access those if schools close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Programs and organizations offering expanded care during the SFUSD strike include:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003cstrong>city’s Recreation & Park\u003c/strong> after-school programs \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/information-and-resources-families#83030\">“have been extended to full-day programs for children who are currently enrolled in their programs.”\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmariposakids.com/\">\u003cstrong>Mariposa Kids\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> told KQED in an email that it is “opening full-day programming to families enrolled in our After-School Program on each strike day” from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, they do not “have the capacity to enroll other families on strike days.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://rocksf.org/\">\u003cstrong>Real Options for City Kids\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, which operates at Visitacion Valley elementary and middle schools, as well as El Dorado Elementary School, has also confirmed that it can extend its care. However, that’ll be a fraction of its students — about 40, compared with the 300 they provide after-school programming for, according to Jenkins-Stevens.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.826valencia.org/\">\u003cstrong>826 Valencia\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, a Mission District organization centered around developing children’s writing skills, told KQED they would be “changing our programming so that we can accommodate students we normally see in other settings at our centers from [9 a.m. to 3 p.m.]” They are also “keeping our regular after-school programs for those who are enrolled.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://sf-stemful.com/\">STEMful San Francisco\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>is “offering a full-day program from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.” for current members, including “an extended care option until 6:00 p.m.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missionscienceworkshop.org/\">\u003cstrong>Mission Science Workshop\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> is expanding programming during the strike. The latest workshop details, hours and updates can be found on the Mission Science Workshop \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/missionscienceworkshop/p/DUjpExmjyJ2/?hl=en\">Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public libraries\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most San Francisco public library branches are open during normal school hours, and a SFPL spokesperson said that their spaces remain a resource for students. Children older than eight can spend time in the city’s public libraries without a parent or guardian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Museums\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some museums across the city are expanding their hours or providing free admission for students during the strike. (Bear in mind that many Bay Area museums always had\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943906/how-to-find-free-museum-tickets-in-the-bay-area\"> free or discounted admission for visitors under 18\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to check the scheduling and see if the museum is open that day, before heading out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/complimentary-admission-policy-during-sfusd-teacher-strike\">The California Academy of Sciences\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>is offering free admission to students under 17 during the weekday, plus discounts for accompanying guardians.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUi6yG6CQt1/?img_index=1&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">a social media post\u003c/a>, the \u003cstrong>Asian Art Museum\u003c/strong> in Civic Center is expanding free admission on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays for guests under 18 \u003cem>and \u003c/em>an adult accompanying them. (The museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>SFMOMA\u003c/strong> always has \u003ca href=\"https://tickets.sfmoma.org/tickets/type?performanceId=10875&timezone=173&type=ga\">free tickets for kids 18 and under\u003c/a>, but for every 6 kids an adult must also be in attendance.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>According to the \u003cstrong>de Young Museum\u003c/strong>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.famsf.org/visit/de-young\">notice\u003c/a>, “General admission is always free for students 17 and under. During the SFUSD closures, free admission for an accompanying parent or guardian is also available on-site, [Tuesday through Friday.]”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Legion of Honor\u003c/strong> also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.famsf.org/visit/legion-of-honor\">free general admission for students 17 or under\u003c/a>. “During the SFUSD closures, free admission for an accompanying parent or guardian is also available on-site, [Tuesday to Friday.]”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>YBCA \u003c/strong>in the Yerba Buena Gardens area has free entry for young people 17 and under. On Wednesday, admission is \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/visit/\">free for everyone\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>The Exploratorium\u003c/strong> is offering free weekday student admission and adult discounts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUir8Bcgaep/?img_index=1\">a social media post\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>MoAD\u003c/strong> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.moadsf.org/visit\">free for youth under 12\u003c/a>. For students age 12 and over, tickets are $12.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tickets are \u003ca href=\"https://www.waltdisney.org/visit/admission\">free for children 5 and under\u003c/a> at the \u003cstrong>Walt Disney Family Museum\u003c/strong>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What happens to special education services during a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The district has said its non-public school programs, which serve a couple of hundred students with the most significant special education needs, will continue to provide services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has not yet put forward any concrete plans for providing services to its roughly 7,000 other special education students.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whataboutchildrenwhorelyonfreemealsatschool\">\u003c/a>What about families who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lurie said on day one, his office is prepared to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072599/sf-schools-will-close-if-teachers-strike-heres-how-city-hall-plans-to-step-in\">stand up meal distribution centers \u003c/a>where students can receive a grab-and-go lunch on a first-come, first-served basis. Some sites will also offer breakfast, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/departments--children-youth-and-their-families/free-youth-meals-sfusd-school-strike?preview=true&ts=20260206150049\">can be found on the city’s website\u003c/a>. These meals are available to youth under the age of 18, and on a first-come, first-served basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/information-and-resources-families\">SFUSD’s website\u003c/a>, “To pick up meals, youth or a parent or caregiver will need to provide the child’s name, grade, and school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1vlptdAfBXgBKZHAKOYjd5vJ6i6iZ4HY&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The centers will be in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families; the San Francisco Public Library; the Recreation and Parks Department; and other community-based organizations. Families will receive information about the locations, hours and meal availability at sites directly, Lurie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For children who participate in after-school programs, San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth and Their Families provides daily snacks and suppers, and it has already asked its partner organizations if they can serve as meal distribution sites in the event of a strike, according to Jenkins-Stevens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11825852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11825852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student walks by a library book drop box outside of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on Jan. 11, 2011, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED has a thorough guide on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">how to find and use a food pantry near you\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, including San Francisco resources like:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">\u003cstrong>California Association of Food Banks’\u003c/strong> online tool\u003c/a>, which lists all the major food banks in the state\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">The state’s \u003cstrong>211\u003c/strong> hotline\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">\u003cstrong>SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, which distributes food to participating pantry organizations, has \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool to locate food resources near you\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cityteam.org/get-help/san-francisco\">\u003cstrong>CityTeam San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityteam.org/get-help/san-francisco\">searchable database\u003c/a> of places to find food and other types of support\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stanthonysf.org/services/dining-room/\">\u003cstrong>St. Anthony’s Foundation\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 121 Golden Gate Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.glide.org/programs/daily-free-meals/\">\u003cstrong>Glide Memorial Church\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 330 Ellis St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missionfoodhub.org/our-programs\">\u003cstrong>Mission Food Hub\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 701 Alabama St., which provides groceries on Fridays to registered residents living in zip code 94110\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjn4sDEjd0/?img_index=6&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">Bread for Ed\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>at 1020 Kearny Street for children who attend Chinatown elementary schools\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ymcasf.org/program/food-assistance/\">YMCA Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>San Francisco County also provides some food assistance, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How did we get to a San Francisco teachers’ strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UESF and SFUSD have been negotiating a new two-year contract for union members since last March. Currently, educators are working under their 2023–2025 deal, which expired in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, the parties declared an impasse — meaning they couldn’t come to an agreement independently — and entered the current mediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12072850 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tadd Scott, English teacher at Mission High, bangs a drum during a teacher’s strike at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The union has said its core demands are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fully funded health care for families\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 9% to 14% wage increase\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A proposal that the district add its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/services/family-supports-services/immigration-policy-resources\">sanctuary district\u003c/a> policy language, which says it is committed to protecting immigrant students, to educators’ contracts\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A written commitment from the district to continue its current emergency shelter housing program for families\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Union negotiators say many of their proposals over the last 10 months have been rejected, including those regarding the sanctuary policy language and the emergency shelter housing program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the district proposed a new offer:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Like their October deal, it maintains a 2% raise over three years\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>It proposes two health care options: one that would cover 75% of premiums, and another offering a $24,000 annual benefit allowance for health care costs. Neither matches the district’s claims earlier this week that it planned to fully cover healthcare costs through a “creative solution.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>It also proposes the creation of a pilot program that would test transitioning special education staff from a caseload to a workload model.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The union said the district’s raise proposal came with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">major concessions\u003c/a>, including the end of a sabbatical program for longstanding members — and additional preparation periods for others who teach Advanced Placement classes — that they don’t want to give up. The union has indicated it will not accept a deal that doesn’t fully fund family health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As someone who’s born and raised here, I think the city is just an incredible place to raise a family, to have kids,” Hutchinson-Szekely said. “I want our teachers to be able to stay in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love our jobs. We love our kids,” she said. “We also just want to stay in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What was in that fact-finding report ahead of the teachers’ strike announcement?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The union’s announcement to strike followed what’s called a “fact-finding report.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This report is the final step in the mediation process between a school district and union, and is written by a three-person committee: one representative each from the district and the union, joined by a neutral mediator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036911\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036911\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The committee held a hearing process, which included gathering information and evidence — like financial data, wage and benefits comparisons and other reports based on their proposals — from both parties. This information was then reflected in the report, which also included non-binding recommendations for a settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Wednesday’s fact-finding panel for SFUSD and UESF said in its report about each of the union’s core demands:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Wages: \u003c/strong>The report says that the district’s financial situation is “precarious,” and that the union’s request for a 9% raise over two years isn’t feasible. But it also said that the district’s proposal of 2% per year for three years doesn’t keep pace with the state’s cost-of-living adjustment. The report ultimately recommended a 3% raise for each of the next two years.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Health care:\u003c/strong> Again citing the district’s finances, the panel said that fully funding healthcare on a \u003cem>permanent\u003c/em> basis is unfeasible — but that it \u003cem>can\u003c/em> \u003cem>afford to \u003c/em>for the next three years at least. The panel recommended using parcel tax funding to fully cover healthcare for families on Kaiser Permanente plans for three years, and urged the district to look for another source to possibly extend that longer.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Sanctuary policy language and emergency shelter program:\u003c/strong> The panel said both of these are not mandatory bargaining subjects, and shouldn’t be included in the agreement. The report concluded that including the sanctuary language opens the district up to “significant liability” and “imposes onerous responsibilities on the District as a landlord, job trainer, and legal advocate.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Special education: \u003c/strong>The union has asked the district to shift special education work models from being based on a certain number of students, or a case load, to a more manageable workload. The panel said that while that proposal would be cost-prohibitive, the district should pursue a pilot program that includes a few elementary schools, as well as a middle and high school, “to develop an approach to address the demands and constraints special education teachers face.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003ch2>Has this kind of strike ever happened before?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The last time San Francisco teachers walked out almost half a century ago, the strike lasted more than six weeks, beginning in September 1979 and delaying the start of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elementary school campuses reopened two weeks into the strike, and middle and high school campuses slowly resumed operations the following week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some teachers crossed the picket line to return to their classrooms, and the district brought in substitutes to supervise students, instruction was still majorly interrupted throughout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12008414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12008414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1920x1283.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from the San Francisco Unified School District return to their buses after a field trip in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 13, 2012. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The strike came after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12042376/nearly-50-years-later-proposition-13s-impact-is-still-being-felt\">Proposition 13\u003c/a> capped California property taxes, which made up the majority of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701044/how-proposition-13-transformed-neighborhood-public-schools-throughout-california\">public school funding\u003c/a>. As a result of the funding loss and declining enrollment, SFUSD had laid off more than 1,000 teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Logan, a labor and employment studies professor at San Francisco State University, said it’s unlikely a strike this year would last that long — but it’s possible it could extend a week or two, which would be majorly disruptive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1979, then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein was integral to negotiating the end of the strike. Logan said city officials would likely also feel the heat to get involved this time around. “Your local elected politicians are going to feel huge pressure first to try and avoid a strike, and then if a strike were to happen, to make sure that it’s over as quickly as possible,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A classroom at Yick Wo Alternative Elementary School in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lurie this week has urged the district and union to continue bargaining and said he is in communication with both parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 1979 strike finally ended with a deal for a 15.5% wage hike and a promise to rehire 700 teachers — close to the 15.7% raise and promise to rehire all teachers that the union initially proposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Logan said if a strike comes to pass in 2026, he similarly expects to see “the school district moving closer to the position that the union is asking for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If a strike were to happen, within days, politicians would be saying, ‘This has to end,’ and school district officials would be under enormous pressure to bargain a settlement with the union,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If parents support the strike, how can they show it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UESF’s Hutchinson-Szekely said that parents have “so much influence,” especially when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11967439/how-can-i-call-my-representative-a-step-by-step-guide-to-the-process\">emailing or calling\u003c/a> school board members and district leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents can also attend \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/board-meeting-calendar-and-agendas\">school board meetings on Tuesday nights\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/public-comment-protocols\"> speak during public comments\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another way to show support for the strike, Hutchinson-Szekely said, is by leaving positive comments online or by sending an encouraging message to a union member, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12008836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12008836 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tiffany Furrell holds her daughter Zoe, 4, on her shoulders alongside teachers and students of Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy during a rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2024, to protest against the potential closure of the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If there is a strike, UESF says all members of the public — including parents — are welcome to show up in person and contribute in various ways. For example, UESF is seeking volunteers to \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z4dyY1dsTHmu5JCjKzfzGhMF0Hy_jtzvcMOjHF_jT0A/edit?tab=t.0\">“adopt a picket”\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelkCrL0Xp53Fbn8KEsejhJK9bSqYtR-l5uSG7zip2EpVM-KA/viewform\">a school they’re connected to\u003c/a>, and perform tasks such as coordinating food and drink deliveries for picketers, collecting donations and providing child care support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hutchinson-Szekely also encouraged families to talk to students about “what it means to be in solidarity with the staff.” She said this may involve instigating conversations about how schools operate, and talking with children about how “chronic underfunding and understaffing are more disruptive in the long term.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just hoping that kind of discussion can happen within families, and emphasizing that the inconvenience is temporary,” she said. “But the impact of under-resourced schools lasts for years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does ‘crossing a picket line’ actually mean?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Families sending students to school during a strike\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">The CTA\u003c/a> says that as a parent or guardian, “you’ll have to decide if you want your child in this environment” of a school that’s in the middle of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A strike is most powerful when students do not attend school, because this puts financial pressure on the district to negotiate with educators or lose more money from the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">the statewide union’s guidance\u003c/a> for families reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12072849 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alison White, teacher at Mission High, top, leads a chant during a teacher’s strike at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteers teaching in schools during a strike in the absence of teachers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements/Position-Statement-Teacher-Negotiations-Sanctions-and-Strikes\">National Parent-Teacher Association guidance\u003c/a> to local branches also states that “PTA should not man the classrooms” unless “possibly for a day in the absence of advance notice of a strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only is manning of classrooms inconsistent with PTA efforts to obtain a qualified teacher in every classroom, but personal liability may be incurred,” the notice reads. “If the school administration intends to keep the schools open during a teacher walkout, it should develop a corps of volunteers outside the PTA structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">\u003cem>Carly Severn\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shotchkiss\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Where can San Francisco parents find child care and free meals while SFUSD teachers are on strike? Here’s what we know.\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the first time in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">nearly 50 years\u003c/a>, San Francisco teachers began\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072392/san-francisco-teachers-will-call-for-a-strike-next-week\"> striking this Monday\u003c/a>. Now in its second day, the strike has halted work for teachers, counselors, nurses and social workers — and shuttered more than 110 district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After nearly a year of tense contract negotiations between the San Francisco Unified School District and the United Educators of San Francisco union, the two sides \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059537/as-deficit-looms-sf-public-school-teachers-threaten-strike-over-fair-contracts\">reached an impasse\u003c/a> in the fall. The union says educators need higher wages that keep up with the rising cost of Bay Area living and fully-funded family health care. The district, however, argues its dire budget crisis makes meeting those demands an impossibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike comes amid a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025440/schools-face-cuts-california-teachers-unions-band-together-demands'\">coordinated campaign across California\u003c/a> by teachers unions with similar demands. And it’s not the first time Bay Area teachers have mobilized in recent years: Oakland teachers went on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949458/oakland-teachers-strike-ends-as-union-reaches-agreement-with-school-district\">strike in 2023\u003c/a>, and almost went to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038227/oakland-teachers-strike-called-off-after-union-reaches-deal-school-district\">the picket line again in 2025\u003c/a>. West Contra Costa County teachers held \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">a four-day strike in December\u003c/a> that ended after the district offered them 8% raises and fully-funded health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is the first time since 1979 that San Francisco teachers have walked off the job and to the picket lines. Hundreds of custodial and food service workers, principals and administrators are\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072729/san-francisco-teachers-walk-out-in-first-strike-in-nearly-50-years\"> also joining in a sympathy strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the lack of recent precedent for a strike like this means that parents and caregivers with kids currently in SFUSD won’t have much experience with exactly what to do when their schools are going through labor negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From free meals to child care support, keep reading to see what union organizers, teachers, school officials and parents say about what families should expect during the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhatoptionsdoSanFranciscofamilieshaveforchildcareduringastrike\">What options do San Francisco families have for child care during a strike?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whataboutchildrenwhorelyonfreemealsatschool\">What about children who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What do we know about school closures during the SFUSD strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The strike begins Monday, and the district’s 111 non-charter schools are closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF announced the decision to strike on Thursday morning in an email to its members, also sending a formal notice to the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We did not come to this decision lightly,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said at a press conference Thursday morning. “It is up to the district to come [to the bargaining table] with a serious proposal to solve the stability crisis. If not, it will be up to the thousands of educators of UESF to do what few of us have done before and take the next step onto the picket lines on Monday morning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Without the 6,000 teachers, paraeducators, social workers and counselors represented by United Educators of San Francisco — and announcements from the unions that represent the possibility that administrators and other campus workers will refuse to cross picket lines — Superintendent Maria Su said schools will not be able to open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If schools stayed open, students who attend would have continued to be supervised, but instruction would likely have not continued as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that parents are stressed right now by this decision to possibly strike. And we don’t want to strike,” Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, a physical education teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and a union member, said earlier this week. “It’s very intense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also this week, Su guaranteed that the district would meet its requirement of 180 school days, which might mean extending the school year beyond \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zu3XmotsMkdDtc6PuIwe9fsu-NsGSqn0/view\">the currently scheduled closing day of June 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Are the district and union still negotiating to avoid a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFUSD and UESF met for a bargaining session Thursday, and the district proposed a new deal. It was rejected by the union, which called it “disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re set to bargain again on Tuesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Which San Francisco schools could be most affected by the strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/schools/directory\">all schools \u003c/a>closed Monday, the impacts of the strike could start to vary depending on how long the action lasts.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>During the 1979 strike, for example, some schools reopened before others, and also operated differently depending on what staff they had available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has said that whether a campus can open will depend on its available staffing and that a school requires an administrator to open and close the campus, along with custodial services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staff would also be needed to supervise students, and food service workers would need to be on hand to provide meals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s administrators and janitors are both members of different unions. But both have declared sympathy strikes, meaning they will not cross picket lines in solidarity with teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has suggested that families stay in close contact with their school’s educators and create group communication channels through apps like WhatsApp or Signal to discuss their school-specific details.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhatoptionsdoSanFranciscofamilieshaveforchildcareduringastrike\">\u003c/a>What options do working families have for child care during this time?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The closure of San Francisco schools because of the strike could put parents in a logistical bind when it comes to their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFUSD’s options\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s website says that there is temporary child care for students under the age of 5, and parents should reach out to referral partners to help connect them to options. The contacts are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/childrenscouncil?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZa6WwXHKy-yFNKlFEhbpx4kwNWDCHBUyMMCzJ8DH8NNpWyaa4Bod4i7r8tHmOMkGsfMQgD9YpG_uFPbcu5-1IoQsld6byTgIGFH27JWPWQUCmL4BN0DMbkvT9Ld4xiMKQROKJqIBXu7UbeNy_QGQlcsG2jz_Zx4HIoSd1oNVt-Xww&__tn__=-%5dK-R\">Children’s Council\u003c/a>: 415-343-3300 or \u003ca href=\"mailto:rr@childrenscouncil.org\">rr@childrenscouncil.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/WuYeeOrg?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZa6WwXHKy-yFNKlFEhbpx4kwNWDCHBUyMMCzJ8DH8NNpWyaa4Bod4i7r8tHmOMkGsfMQgD9YpG_uFPbcu5-1IoQsld6byTgIGFH27JWPWQUCmL4BN0DMbkvT9Ld4xiMKQROKJqIBXu7UbeNy_QGQlcsG2jz_Zx4HIoSd1oNVt-Xww&__tn__=-%5dK-R\">Wu Yee Children’s Services\u003c/a>: 1-844-644-4300 or \u003ca href=\"mailto:randr@wuyee.org\">randr@wuyee.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For other age groups, SFUSD has \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ecLWahYrM0OedreZon-1JcIzeWxANctCjjYfKDEZusM/edit?tab=t.0\">a list of vetted organizations\u003c/a> providing activities and supervision for children. Space is extremely limited, however.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058782\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058782\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks during a press conference at Sanchez Elementary School on the first day of classes for the new school year in San Francisco on Aug. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The district also has a list of state-funded community organizations \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eUNCkN4b3OSxIkIzMBebpzKMaKuwNnM4xvX3cOm6T2w/edit?tab=t.0\">providing academic and recreation support\u003c/a> off-site. (Meals may also be provided.) Priority access is given to students whose families qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits, are foster youth or homeless youth, or are English language learners. The document is also available in:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/13u7JYgXyPI12zrtZlyBuiZ07y7SIdycRVAkxO-kewbE/edit?tab=t.0\">Spanish\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oaHn_0ftnpOhpScuY7GqAfm4fPlkKuFHMgMIHbH0icY/edit?tab=t.0\">Arabic\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIP2gMRrmkF_AvbhYt2-Xl_YvHiEpvSO6z6Azh-OETg/edit?tab=t.0\">Chinese\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qM-qOw6qfsi8cWUz2fH4qro5mZbP-oxSFa8op6DPS2U/edit?tab=t.0\">Samoan\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1608z0Ys9EJUgic8JmF9cWowvTMjKVdFFiXDzJDMNCWM/edit?tab=t.0\">Tagalog\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sasg-9-p8Hk1Gmn3SZOm1py8GnPdy4RO_MDtoRyhcEE/edit?tab=t.0\">Vietnamese\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Union options\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has invited parents to bring their children and join picket lines, and the union also said it is in contact with community partner organizations that are “assessing their capacity” to expand child care offerings throughout the school day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>After-school programming\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072599/sf-schools-will-close-if-teachers-strike-heres-how-city-hall-plans-to-step-in\">parents should reach out to their after-school care providers \u003c/a>directly for information on their options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A program your child is already part of may be providing extended services. The San Francisco Beacon Initiative works with local nonprofits — including the YMCA of Greater San Francisco and the Boys and Girls Club — to run after-school programs at 27 SFUSD schools, including all of the district’s middle schools and its highest-need elementary schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sally Jenkins-Stevens, the Beacon Initiative’s executive director, said that all these partners are looking into the feasibility of offering all-day care for students, though any services they can provide would likely be for some of the children already enrolled in their after-school programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some other organizations, she said, are simply limited by space. Many use campus facilities, and it’s unclear whether they would be able to access those if schools close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Programs and organizations offering expanded care during the SFUSD strike include:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003cstrong>city’s Recreation & Park\u003c/strong> after-school programs \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/information-and-resources-families#83030\">“have been extended to full-day programs for children who are currently enrolled in their programs.”\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmariposakids.com/\">\u003cstrong>Mariposa Kids\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> told KQED in an email that it is “opening full-day programming to families enrolled in our After-School Program on each strike day” from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, they do not “have the capacity to enroll other families on strike days.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://rocksf.org/\">\u003cstrong>Real Options for City Kids\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, which operates at Visitacion Valley elementary and middle schools, as well as El Dorado Elementary School, has also confirmed that it can extend its care. However, that’ll be a fraction of its students — about 40, compared with the 300 they provide after-school programming for, according to Jenkins-Stevens.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.826valencia.org/\">\u003cstrong>826 Valencia\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, a Mission District organization centered around developing children’s writing skills, told KQED they would be “changing our programming so that we can accommodate students we normally see in other settings at our centers from [9 a.m. to 3 p.m.]” They are also “keeping our regular after-school programs for those who are enrolled.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://sf-stemful.com/\">STEMful San Francisco\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>is “offering a full-day program from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.” for current members, including “an extended care option until 6:00 p.m.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missionscienceworkshop.org/\">\u003cstrong>Mission Science Workshop\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> is expanding programming during the strike. The latest workshop details, hours and updates can be found on the Mission Science Workshop \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/missionscienceworkshop/p/DUjpExmjyJ2/?hl=en\">Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Public libraries\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most San Francisco public library branches are open during normal school hours, and a SFPL spokesperson said that their spaces remain a resource for students. Children older than eight can spend time in the city’s public libraries without a parent or guardian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Museums\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some museums across the city are expanding their hours or providing free admission for students during the strike. (Bear in mind that many Bay Area museums always had\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943906/how-to-find-free-museum-tickets-in-the-bay-area\"> free or discounted admission for visitors under 18\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to check the scheduling and see if the museum is open that day, before heading out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/complimentary-admission-policy-during-sfusd-teacher-strike\">The California Academy of Sciences\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>is offering free admission to students under 17 during the weekday, plus discounts for accompanying guardians.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUi6yG6CQt1/?img_index=1&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">a social media post\u003c/a>, the \u003cstrong>Asian Art Museum\u003c/strong> in Civic Center is expanding free admission on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays for guests under 18 \u003cem>and \u003c/em>an adult accompanying them. (The museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>SFMOMA\u003c/strong> always has \u003ca href=\"https://tickets.sfmoma.org/tickets/type?performanceId=10875&timezone=173&type=ga\">free tickets for kids 18 and under\u003c/a>, but for every 6 kids an adult must also be in attendance.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>According to the \u003cstrong>de Young Museum\u003c/strong>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.famsf.org/visit/de-young\">notice\u003c/a>, “General admission is always free for students 17 and under. During the SFUSD closures, free admission for an accompanying parent or guardian is also available on-site, [Tuesday through Friday.]”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Legion of Honor\u003c/strong> also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.famsf.org/visit/legion-of-honor\">free general admission for students 17 or under\u003c/a>. “During the SFUSD closures, free admission for an accompanying parent or guardian is also available on-site, [Tuesday to Friday.]”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>YBCA \u003c/strong>in the Yerba Buena Gardens area has free entry for young people 17 and under. On Wednesday, admission is \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/visit/\">free for everyone\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>The Exploratorium\u003c/strong> is offering free weekday student admission and adult discounts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUir8Bcgaep/?img_index=1\">a social media post\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>MoAD\u003c/strong> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.moadsf.org/visit\">free for youth under 12\u003c/a>. For students age 12 and over, tickets are $12.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tickets are \u003ca href=\"https://www.waltdisney.org/visit/admission\">free for children 5 and under\u003c/a> at the \u003cstrong>Walt Disney Family Museum\u003c/strong>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What happens to special education services during a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The district has said its non-public school programs, which serve a couple of hundred students with the most significant special education needs, will continue to provide services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has not yet put forward any concrete plans for providing services to its roughly 7,000 other special education students.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whataboutchildrenwhorelyonfreemealsatschool\">\u003c/a>What about families who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lurie said on day one, his office is prepared to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072599/sf-schools-will-close-if-teachers-strike-heres-how-city-hall-plans-to-step-in\">stand up meal distribution centers \u003c/a>where students can receive a grab-and-go lunch on a first-come, first-served basis. Some sites will also offer breakfast, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/departments--children-youth-and-their-families/free-youth-meals-sfusd-school-strike?preview=true&ts=20260206150049\">can be found on the city’s website\u003c/a>. These meals are available to youth under the age of 18, and on a first-come, first-served basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/negotiations-updates/information-and-resources-families\">SFUSD’s website\u003c/a>, “To pick up meals, youth or a parent or caregiver will need to provide the child’s name, grade, and school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1vlptdAfBXgBKZHAKOYjd5vJ6i6iZ4HY&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The centers will be in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families; the San Francisco Public Library; the Recreation and Parks Department; and other community-based organizations. Families will receive information about the locations, hours and meal availability at sites directly, Lurie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For children who participate in after-school programs, San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth and Their Families provides daily snacks and suppers, and it has already asked its partner organizations if they can serve as meal distribution sites in the event of a strike, according to Jenkins-Stevens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11825852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11825852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43801_GettyImages-107987983-qut-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student walks by a library book drop box outside of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on Jan. 11, 2011, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED has a thorough guide on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">how to find and use a food pantry near you\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, including San Francisco resources like:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">\u003cstrong>California Association of Food Banks’\u003c/strong> online tool\u003c/a>, which lists all the major food banks in the state\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">The state’s \u003cstrong>211\u003c/strong> hotline\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">\u003cstrong>SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, which distributes food to participating pantry organizations, has \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool to locate food resources near you\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cityteam.org/get-help/san-francisco\">\u003cstrong>CityTeam San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityteam.org/get-help/san-francisco\">searchable database\u003c/a> of places to find food and other types of support\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stanthonysf.org/services/dining-room/\">\u003cstrong>St. Anthony’s Foundation\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 121 Golden Gate Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.glide.org/programs/daily-free-meals/\">\u003cstrong>Glide Memorial Church\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 330 Ellis St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missionfoodhub.org/our-programs\">\u003cstrong>Mission Food Hub\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> at 701 Alabama St., which provides groceries on Fridays to registered residents living in zip code 94110\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjn4sDEjd0/?img_index=6&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">Bread for Ed\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>at 1020 Kearny Street for children who attend Chinatown elementary schools\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ymcasf.org/program/food-assistance/\">YMCA Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>San Francisco County also provides some food assistance, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How did we get to a San Francisco teachers’ strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UESF and SFUSD have been negotiating a new two-year contract for union members since last March. Currently, educators are working under their 2023–2025 deal, which expired in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, the parties declared an impasse — meaning they couldn’t come to an agreement independently — and entered the current mediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12072850 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tadd Scott, English teacher at Mission High, bangs a drum during a teacher’s strike at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The union has said its core demands are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fully funded health care for families\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 9% to 14% wage increase\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A proposal that the district add its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/services/family-supports-services/immigration-policy-resources\">sanctuary district\u003c/a> policy language, which says it is committed to protecting immigrant students, to educators’ contracts\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A written commitment from the district to continue its current emergency shelter housing program for families\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Union negotiators say many of their proposals over the last 10 months have been rejected, including those regarding the sanctuary policy language and the emergency shelter housing program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the district proposed a new offer:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Like their October deal, it maintains a 2% raise over three years\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>It proposes two health care options: one that would cover 75% of premiums, and another offering a $24,000 annual benefit allowance for health care costs. Neither matches the district’s claims earlier this week that it planned to fully cover healthcare costs through a “creative solution.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>It also proposes the creation of a pilot program that would test transitioning special education staff from a caseload to a workload model.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The union said the district’s raise proposal came with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">major concessions\u003c/a>, including the end of a sabbatical program for longstanding members — and additional preparation periods for others who teach Advanced Placement classes — that they don’t want to give up. The union has indicated it will not accept a deal that doesn’t fully fund family health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As someone who’s born and raised here, I think the city is just an incredible place to raise a family, to have kids,” Hutchinson-Szekely said. “I want our teachers to be able to stay in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love our jobs. We love our kids,” she said. “We also just want to stay in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What was in that fact-finding report ahead of the teachers’ strike announcement?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The union’s announcement to strike followed what’s called a “fact-finding report.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This report is the final step in the mediation process between a school district and union, and is written by a three-person committee: one representative each from the district and the union, joined by a neutral mediator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036911\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036911\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250418-SFUSD-06-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The committee held a hearing process, which included gathering information and evidence — like financial data, wage and benefits comparisons and other reports based on their proposals — from both parties. This information was then reflected in the report, which also included non-binding recommendations for a settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Wednesday’s fact-finding panel for SFUSD and UESF said in its report about each of the union’s core demands:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Wages: \u003c/strong>The report says that the district’s financial situation is “precarious,” and that the union’s request for a 9% raise over two years isn’t feasible. But it also said that the district’s proposal of 2% per year for three years doesn’t keep pace with the state’s cost-of-living adjustment. The report ultimately recommended a 3% raise for each of the next two years.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Health care:\u003c/strong> Again citing the district’s finances, the panel said that fully funding healthcare on a \u003cem>permanent\u003c/em> basis is unfeasible — but that it \u003cem>can\u003c/em> \u003cem>afford to \u003c/em>for the next three years at least. The panel recommended using parcel tax funding to fully cover healthcare for families on Kaiser Permanente plans for three years, and urged the district to look for another source to possibly extend that longer.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Sanctuary policy language and emergency shelter program:\u003c/strong> The panel said both of these are not mandatory bargaining subjects, and shouldn’t be included in the agreement. The report concluded that including the sanctuary language opens the district up to “significant liability” and “imposes onerous responsibilities on the District as a landlord, job trainer, and legal advocate.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Special education: \u003c/strong>The union has asked the district to shift special education work models from being based on a certain number of students, or a case load, to a more manageable workload. The panel said that while that proposal would be cost-prohibitive, the district should pursue a pilot program that includes a few elementary schools, as well as a middle and high school, “to develop an approach to address the demands and constraints special education teachers face.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003ch2>Has this kind of strike ever happened before?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The last time San Francisco teachers walked out almost half a century ago, the strike lasted more than six weeks, beginning in September 1979 and delaying the start of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elementary school campuses reopened two weeks into the strike, and middle and high school campuses slowly resumed operations the following week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some teachers crossed the picket line to return to their classrooms, and the district brought in substitutes to supervise students, instruction was still majorly interrupted throughout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12008414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12008414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/SFUSDStudentsGetty-1920x1283.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from the San Francisco Unified School District return to their buses after a field trip in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 13, 2012. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The strike came after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12042376/nearly-50-years-later-proposition-13s-impact-is-still-being-felt\">Proposition 13\u003c/a> capped California property taxes, which made up the majority of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701044/how-proposition-13-transformed-neighborhood-public-schools-throughout-california\">public school funding\u003c/a>. As a result of the funding loss and declining enrollment, SFUSD had laid off more than 1,000 teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Logan, a labor and employment studies professor at San Francisco State University, said it’s unlikely a strike this year would last that long — but it’s possible it could extend a week or two, which would be majorly disruptive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1979, then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein was integral to negotiating the end of the strike. Logan said city officials would likely also feel the heat to get involved this time around. “Your local elected politicians are going to feel huge pressure first to try and avoid a strike, and then if a strike were to happen, to make sure that it’s over as quickly as possible,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241023-SFUSDSuperintendent-53-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A classroom at Yick Wo Alternative Elementary School in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lurie this week has urged the district and union to continue bargaining and said he is in communication with both parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 1979 strike finally ended with a deal for a 15.5% wage hike and a promise to rehire 700 teachers — close to the 15.7% raise and promise to rehire all teachers that the union initially proposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Logan said if a strike comes to pass in 2026, he similarly expects to see “the school district moving closer to the position that the union is asking for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If a strike were to happen, within days, politicians would be saying, ‘This has to end,’ and school district officials would be under enormous pressure to bargain a settlement with the union,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If parents support the strike, how can they show it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UESF’s Hutchinson-Szekely said that parents have “so much influence,” especially when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11967439/how-can-i-call-my-representative-a-step-by-step-guide-to-the-process\">emailing or calling\u003c/a> school board members and district leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents can also attend \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/board-meeting-calendar-and-agendas\">school board meetings on Tuesday nights\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/public-comment-protocols\"> speak during public comments\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another way to show support for the strike, Hutchinson-Szekely said, is by leaving positive comments online or by sending an encouraging message to a union member, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12008836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12008836 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241009-SFUSDCLOSURESMARCH-32-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tiffany Furrell holds her daughter Zoe, 4, on her shoulders alongside teachers and students of Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy during a rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2024, to protest against the potential closure of the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If there is a strike, UESF says all members of the public — including parents — are welcome to show up in person and contribute in various ways. For example, UESF is seeking volunteers to \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z4dyY1dsTHmu5JCjKzfzGhMF0Hy_jtzvcMOjHF_jT0A/edit?tab=t.0\">“adopt a picket”\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelkCrL0Xp53Fbn8KEsejhJK9bSqYtR-l5uSG7zip2EpVM-KA/viewform\">a school they’re connected to\u003c/a>, and perform tasks such as coordinating food and drink deliveries for picketers, collecting donations and providing child care support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hutchinson-Szekely also encouraged families to talk to students about “what it means to be in solidarity with the staff.” She said this may involve instigating conversations about how schools operate, and talking with children about how “chronic underfunding and understaffing are more disruptive in the long term.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just hoping that kind of discussion can happen within families, and emphasizing that the inconvenience is temporary,” she said. “But the impact of under-resourced schools lasts for years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does ‘crossing a picket line’ actually mean?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Families sending students to school during a strike\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">The CTA\u003c/a> says that as a parent or guardian, “you’ll have to decide if you want your child in this environment” of a school that’s in the middle of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A strike is most powerful when students do not attend school, because this puts financial pressure on the district to negotiate with educators or lose more money from the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">the statewide union’s guidance\u003c/a> for families reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12072849 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20260209_SFUSDSTRIKE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alison White, teacher at Mission High, top, leads a chant during a teacher’s strike at Mission High School on Feb. 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteers teaching in schools during a strike in the absence of teachers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements/Position-Statement-Teacher-Negotiations-Sanctions-and-Strikes\">National Parent-Teacher Association guidance\u003c/a> to local branches also states that “PTA should not man the classrooms” unless “possibly for a day in the absence of advance notice of a strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only is manning of classrooms inconsistent with PTA efforts to obtain a qualified teacher in every classroom, but personal liability may be incurred,” the notice reads. “If the school administration intends to keep the schools open during a teacher walkout, it should develop a corps of volunteers outside the PTA structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">\u003cem>Carly Severn\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shotchkiss\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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},
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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