The city’s first teachers strike in 47 years has moved from possibility to impending reality.
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su appeared to be on the verge of tears Friday morning following a round of high-stakes negotiations with United Educators of San Francisco. During a press conference at district headquarters, she paused to gather herself.
“I do not want a strike,” she said. “But if UESF proceeds with a strike on Monday, schools will be closed.”
In a wavering voice, she outlined the district’s plans to coordinate with city departments to ensure families have grade-level instructional packets and kids have adult supervision.
In spite of a neutral fact-finding report (opens in new tab), released Wednesday, which provided recommendations of a compromise, the two sides appeared as far apart Friday as they have been since beginning negotiations nearly a year ago. SFUSD did not present an offer in line with that report, and the union did not offer a counter, Su said. On Friday afternoon, the district sent out a message to parents saying that all schools will be closed Monday.
The two parties plan to come back to the table Saturday afternoon in a last-ditch effort to avert a walkout next week. Otherwise, the strike will start at 8 a.m. on Monday. This week, teachers have encouraged parents and students to join them on the picket lines.
Here’s what else we know.
What is the union saying?
UESF leaders noted in a video posted to social media that Su was notably absent from the Thursday-night bargaining session. The union refused to negotiate Friday; its leaders claim this is an effort to give district leaders time to come up with a suitable proposal to bring to the table Saturday.
Will principals and administrators be available to staff schools?
No. The United Administrators of San Francisco, which represents 253 principals, assistant principals, program administrators, and supervisors, announced Friday that it would strike in solidarity with UESF, meaning campuses would be highly unlikely to remain open during a strike.
A review by The Standard of the 1979 teachers strike showed that administrators were crucial in gradually opening and operating schools.
What is the status of negotiations?
Despite previous claims by the district that it had offered the union fully funded healthcare for dependents, the latest proposal fell short of that. Instead, it provided two options: 75% of family healthcare or an annual health benefits allowance of $24,000 for each educator.
The district suggested using parcel tax funds that have been allocated to boost teacher salaries to cover the additional healthcare benefits. The district says this is a bridge measure to provide the benefits without catching the ire of its state auditors. However, this would be a separate, nonbinding memorandum of understanding and not part of the collective bargaining agreement.
Members of the district leadership team listen as Su provides an update on negotiations. | Source: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez/The Standard
On wages, the district has barely budged. Despite the recommendation from the neutral fact finder to offer 6% raises over two years, SFUSD put forward an offer of 6% over three years. The union is demanding raises of 9% to 14% over two years.
The district also refused to switch to a workload model from a caseload model for special-education professionals. A workload model corresponds to time and effort with students, rather than a number of assigned students. The offer also did not establish a hard cap on class sizes, as sought by the union.
Su said the union told SFUSD officials it would not bring a counteroffer Saturday. However, union leaders said they’d be ready to continue bargaining.
“Every proposal they gave us was contingent on increasing our class sizes, cutting existing budgets, site funding, pay, and staff,” UESF member Michelle Cody said in a video posted to social media (opens in new tab) Thursday night.
What is Mayor Daniel Lurie doing about this?
“I really trust that both sides will stay at the table throughout the weekend, until a deal is reached,” Lurie said on a Thursday-night call organized by the SF Parents Coalition. “But we will be ready to support our children and our families come Monday if we don’t reach an agreement.”
Sherrice Dorsey-Smith, executive director of the city’s Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, said the agency plans to increase staffing and programming at recreation centers and libraries, set up sites offering free lunch (opens in new tab) and breakfast to SFUSD students, and make an effort to direct eligible families in need to child-care providers.
Dorsey-Smith said she is encouraging community-based organizations that have the flexibility and capacity to open for children. The city estimates that up to 6,000 slots could be available. However, it is unclear how many will be ready by Monday.
The city shared details on 40 food distribution sites around the city that will be open on (opens in new tab)Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.
“We don’t have enough space for all 49,000 kids that are part of the district,” Dorsey-Smith said, “but we are going to try to reach out to families that have the highest need.”
Su said the district is prioritizing special-education students, particularly those with mobility issues, and families with great difficulty finding child care. The district did not say how many spaces would be available for kids in need — it’s a moving target leaders are working to figure out.