UPDATE: San Francisco teachers are officially set to strike starting Monday, November 6, 2023, after negotiations failed to meet their demands for improved pay and benefits. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) announced that the strike will commence despite city leaders’ plea for a 72-hour pause in talks, with further negotiations scheduled for noon on Monday.
The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) and SFUSD officials were unable to reach an agreement over the weekend. The union’s requests include fully-funded family healthcare, significant salary increases, and enhanced special education services—demands that amount to a budget impact of approximately $35 million. This figure is notably half of the funding allocated for the San Francisco Police Department this year, even as crime rates continue to decline.
“We have made it very clear that our demands are for fully-funded family healthcare and salary increases that do not come at the cost of concessions or takeaways,” stated Cassondra Curiel, president of the UESF. Currently, teachers in San Francisco earn an average starting salary of $79,000 annually, a stark contrast to the $119,000 starting salary for new police officers, who also receive full health coverage while teachers contribute around 5% of their income towards health insurance.
Negotiations extended through nearly 12 hours on Saturday, with an initial offer from the union made at 2 PM and a counter-offer from the district received around 8 PM. Following these discussions, Mayor Daniel Lurie called for the union to postpone the strike to keep schools operational. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi echoed this sentiment, urging both sides to find common ground.
Additionally, principals and other school employees, including custodians, plan to join the strike on Monday. “A single administrator alone in a school building does not constitute a functioning or safe school environment,” warned Anna Klafter, president of the United Administrators of San Francisco.
In a controversial move, the district sent a confusing email over the weekend assigning staff to various locations, which many perceived as an attempt to undermine the strike. “It is absolutely embarrassing,” commented one principal, highlighting the sentiment among staff. Despite these assignments, no teachers or principals intend to cross the picket line, viewing the district’s actions as insulting.
As the strike looms, families affected by the school closures can access resources provided by SFUSD, which includes free breakfast and lunch for students, childcare for younger children, and independent study packets. The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families will also distribute meals during the strike, with local churches partnering with Superintendent Maria Su to offer academic and recreational support.
Stay tuned for updates as negotiations resume on Monday and the situation develops.
