Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Thousands of educators flocked to picket lines Monday as United Educators of San Francisco began its first strike since 1979.

The 6,500-member union has been negotiating for nearly a year with San Francisco Unified School District, which has roughly 50,000 students. The district closed more than 100 schools on Monday as the union solidified a strike roughly a week after members approved a walkout in two rounds of voting. More than 250 principals, office clerks and custodians in two other unions also went on a sympathy strike in solidarity.

Negotiations stalled because of disagreements over pay raises, health care coverage and working conditions for special education teachers.

“What this contract represents is stability for San Francisco Unified for years to come, and its commitment to us and coming to an agreement immediately will secure the schools that San Franciscans deserve,” said union President Cossandra Curiel at a picket line outside Mission High School. “You can expect to see strong picket lines until that agreement is achieved.”

The union is sticking to its demands for a 9% and 14% pay raise for teachers and paraprofessionals, respectively, over the two-year contract. The current starting base salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $73,689. The paraprofessional hourly rate is $31.52.

Union officials are also asking for 100% health care coverage, along with caseload limits and more time for administrative tasks for special education staff.

After multiple hours-long bargaining sessions this weekend, the district responded with a 6% raise over two years. It proposed implementing the union’s demand for a new special education workload model as a pilot program at five schools through June 2028. Curiel said Monday that district officials offered 75% health coverage.

San Francisco Unified officials have said a $102 million budget deficit makes it impossible to meet the union’s demands. The union said the district can cover the increased costs with its budget reserve.

“We understand that they are under a form of strain from the state, or that’s what their excuse has been up to now,” Curiel said. “We see that they have a reserve of almost $400 million. We believe that today’s dollars are for today’s students.”

The district said the $400 million is not in reserves, but is already budgeted to prevent layoffs and address the deficit.

“Using a one-time fund balance for permanent raises creates a funding cliff,” the district said in a statement. “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.”

San Francisco Unified does have $111 million in its reserve fund, but the district said that money is for emergencies.

Superintendent Maria Su said in a statement that the district’s proposal “provides fiscal certainty by matching spending to available resources” and “keeps the district on a clear runway to exit state oversight.” The state started monitoring district finances in 2024 because of projected budget deficits.

“Let me be clear, I do not want a prolonged strike,” Su said in a video Sunday night. “I do not want a strike at all.”

Curiel said the district and union did agree on a proposal to classify schools as sanctuary spaces for immigrant students, staff and families. The policy bars federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering school grounds or obtaining records without a criminal judicial warrant. Staff will also receive three hours of training to enforce these policies.

Teachers protested in front of several schools Monday morning and hosted a rally in the afternoon that featured Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second-largest union for educators. On the picket line in front of Mission High School, social studies teacher Cindy Castillo said she’s striking to improve school stability.

“Stability means that we can retain our educators of color and our students and families of color. It means we can fully staff security, who can build relationships with our students and prevent violence and harm,” she said. “It means our students and families feel safe and supported.”

Matt Alexander, president of the San Francisco Unified school board, said he supports the strike and believes it’s a necessary step.

“I am so proud of these educators for standing up for what is right,” he said. “A strike for the first time in half a century takes courage. It takes sacrifice. It was not what these educators wanted, but they’re willing to do what needs to be done to create the schools our students deserve.”

---

This article was published in partnership with The 74. Sign up for The 74’s newsletter here.