SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About 6,000 San Francisco public school teachers went on strike Monday, the city’s first work stoppage in nearly 50 years.
The strike comes after teachers and the school district failed to reach an agreement on a pay increase, better health benefits and additional resources for students with special needs. The San Francisco Unified School District was forced to close its 120 schools and announced it would offer independent study to some of its 50,000 students.
“We will stick together until we get the schools our students deserve and the contracts our members deserve,” Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco union, said at a news conference Monday.
Unionized teachers joined the picket line after weekend negotiations failed to result in a new contract. Mayor Daniel Lurie and Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi called on both sides to keep negotiations going instead of closing schools.
Members of the union plan to hold a meeting at San Francisco City Hall on Monday afternoon. Negotiations were expected to resume around noon.
“We look forward to the union’s counteroffer,” said Maria Su, superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District. He added that the district had presented a comprehensive package despite deep-rooted financial problems.
“This is a feasible offer. It is an offer we can afford,” Su emphasized. “We will sit at the table and stay as long as necessary to reach a comprehensive agreement. I do not want a long strike.”
Lily Perales, a history teacher at Mission High School, said many union members can no longer afford to live in San Francisco.
“There are too many of my colleagues who have been pushed out of town because of the high cost of living, and our current contract is not enough,” he said from a picket line. “We are prepared to continue striking until all our demands are met.”
Colleague Aaron Hart, a photography and art teacher at Mission High, said the schools are understaffed. “That’s why we’re here. We really want stability for our students,” he emphasized.
The union and the district have been in negotiations for almost a year. Teachers are demanding full funding for family health care, salary increases and filling vacancies related to special education and services.
Teachers also want the district to implement policies to support immigrant students and homeless families.
The union is asking for a 9% wage increase over two years, which would mean an additional expense of $92 million per year for the district. They assure that this money can come from reserve funds that can be channeled into classrooms and school facilities.
The district, which faces a $100 million deficit and is under state supervision due to a long-running financial crisis, rejected the proposal. The authorities have made an offer of a 6% salary increase, paid over three years. Su said the offer also includes bonuses for all employees in case there is a surplus for the 2027-2028 school year.
A neutral investigative panel released a report last week recommending a 6% increase over two years, largely supporting the district’s claims that it is in financial trouble.
The union said San Francisco teachers receive some of the lowest contributions to their health care costs in the Bay Area, causing many to leave the area. Su noted that the district offered two options: have the district pay 75% of family health costs to insurer Kaiser, or offer a $24,000 annual stipend for teachers to choose their health care plan.
Lurie, who helped negotiate a deal that ended a hotel union strike, said city agencies coordinated with the district in supporting students and families.
“I know that all participants in these negotiations are committed to schools where students thrive and our teachers feel truly supported, and I will continue to work to ensure that,” Lurie said on social media on Sunday.
Teachers in other California cities also prepared for a strike. San Diego teachers indicated they are prepared to leave their jobs next month for the first time in 30 years amid a stalemate in a dispute with the school district over staffing and special education services. In addition, members of United Teachers Los Angeles voted last month to authorize their leaders to call for a strike if negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District fail.
Another of the school system’s major unions, Local 99 of Service Employees International Union, is scheduled for a similar vote starting next week.
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Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative artificial intelligence tool.
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