When will San Francisco’s educators strike end?
Parents and teachers have a new reason to believe the work stoppage may drag on.
The United Educators of San Francisco applied for a permit with the city’s Recreation and Parks Department to host an “educator strike rally” at Embarcadero Plaza on Thursday afternoon, documents obtained exclusively by The Standard show.
The permit lists Frank Lara, the union’s executive vice president, as the event organizer. And it lists an expected attendance of 7,000 people between 1 and 3 pm.
The application was filed on Tuesday morning, perhaps offering a hint into the mindset of the union at the time.
A union spokesperson said educators want to be back in classrooms with students as soon as they can, and they are still at the bargaining table. However, hopes have dimmed that a deal could be inked imminently.
“We have not received anything to indicate that we will reach an agreement tonight,” the union wrote in an email to supporters Tuesday night.
On Monday, UESF President Cassondra Curiel said teachers would strike until they receive a fair contract.
“It has taken over 10 months of sounding this alarm, asking nicely, and hearing unfulfilled promises to get to this point,” Curiel said. “We will continue to stand together until we win the schools our students deserve and the contracts our members deserve at every single school site — until we close this deal.”
District schools across San Francisco were closed for the second day of the teachers’ strike. | Source: Manuel Orbegozo for The Standard
While the permit itself is not binding, nor a concrete reason to believe the city’s first educator strike in 47 years may continue — it could even be used to celebrate a negotiation victory — it isn’t exactly encouraging, either.
Educators across San Francisco’s more than 120 schools have picketed since Monday morning, pushing the San Francisco Unified School District for pay raises, better dependent healthcare benefits, stepped-up special education staffing, sanctuary protections for immigrant students, and AI provisions.
So far, the district and the union have come to an agreement on some of the sticking points, but remain at odds on pay raises, healthcare, and special education staffing. Schools are closed on Wednesday, the district announced, leaving roughly 50,000 public school students in San Francisco out of the classroom for a third day.
“We remain committed to working here and staying here as long as it takes to reach an agreement with our labor partners,” district spokesperson Laura Dudnick said Tuesday evening.
Thousands of students have utilized free food and childcare options provided by the city and a bevy of afterschool programs, like the YMCA of Greater San Francisco and the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. Many other parents have been left scrambling for options.
As negotiations continued on Tuesday, Mayor Daniel Lurie arrived at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center to speak to leaders of both parties at the negotiations. He has spoken to them individually over the past week.
Mayor Daniel Lurie answered reporters’ questions at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center as negotiatons continued upstairs. | Source: Manuel Orbegozo for The Standard
Around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the mayor spoke to the press in the War Memorial’s lobby. He said the parties had a “very productive conversation,” though he declined to reveal specifics.
“They can get a deal done, and they need to get a deal done,” Lurie said. “I want them to get to a deal so our kids can get back into the classroom where they can continue to learn and thrive.”