Schools to remain closed through Tuesday amid SF teachers strike

San Francisco teachers strike will continue on Tuesday

San Francisco teachers went on strike Monday, leaving students with no class. In a late-afternoon update, we learned the negotiations between the teachers union and the district remain at an impasse and class will once again not be in session on Tuesday. This is the first strike since 1979. 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Classes will remain canceled through at least Tuesday for 50,000 students in San Francisco as teachers went on strike this week for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The hope was that the school district and teachers union would be able to come to an agreement at the last minute this weekend, but that didn’t happen.

SF teachers strike set to move forward

It appears San Francisco's first teachers strike in nearly 50 years will happen Monday. As of Sunday evening, San Francisco Unified School District and union leaders are still at odds over pay and benefits, even after last-ditch discussions this weekend.

"It has taken over 10 months of sounding this alarm, negotiating, asking nicely and hearing unfulfilled promises to get to this point," United Educators of San Francisco President Cassandra Curiel said at a Monday morning news conference. "We need to be clear. The proposals the district came with to address special education, healthcare and salaries just didn't go far enough." 

The school district announced later in the day Monday that all schools would remain closed on Tuesday.

As of Sunday evening, San Francisco Unified School District and union leaders were still at odds over pay and benefits, even after last-ditch discussions this weekend. However, SFUSD officials said both sides would return to the bargaining table at noon Monday.

Laura Dudnick, an SFUSD spokesperson, said there are financial reasons the district can't pay the teachers exactly what they are asking for. 

"We have been in a structural deficit for years, and we have been working really hard to come out of the structural deficit," Dudnick said. "We've made progress. We had to make difficult cuts last year, and we need to make more cuts to balance the budget, we need to make sure we can afford any raises we put forward."

Still, Dudnick said she's optimistic a deal can be reached.

Still no deal on pay, benefits

The impasse came after eight hours of talks Saturday that did produce a deal on one issue: programs for undocumented students. 

"We were able to make progress in a number of areas," said Dudnick.

Union leaders want fully-funded healthcare and a 9-14% raise over two years. The district counter-offered Saturday night with a $24,000 health benefits allowance and a 6% raise, but with cuts elsewhere.

"We will not sell out our students or our members to get a wage increase when we know the district has the money to do that," said Curiel.

Union leaders say while the district has publicly announced progress, inside the negotiations the district has been asking for concessions. 

"We've made it clear that they have enough money to close this contract with what's at the table and that's what we're continuing to ask for the bargaining table. Yes, pay raises that continue to keep educators here," Frank Lara, union executive vice president, said.

The district has been arguing that with declining enrollment and a more than $100 million budget deficit, the money simply isn't there. 

Lurie weighs in

Mayor Daniel Lurie on Sunday called for more time. 

"I have asked both UESF and the school district to agree to three additional days for conversations to continue. T would allow kids to stay in the classroom," said Lurie. 

"We agree with his proposal of a cooling-off period," said Dudnick.

But the union says without a deal, a walkout will happen. 

"We'll be on strike Monday," said Curiel. 

What's next:

The district says it's working with community partners to provide childcare and food during the strike, and has sent out virtual assignments to students. But parents are hoping any strike is short-lived. 

"We survived COVID, so we're going to have to pull together as a community," Parent Tanya Lavelle said. "And we're going to try to do the best that we can." 

As of Monday afternoon, it's unclear how long the strike could continue.

The district posted to social media Monday evening to say that the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10, was canceled.