Thousands of San Francisco educators continued to rally in Mission Dolores Park on Wednesday to demand higher pay and better benefits. Even as the strike continues, educators and district representatives agree there has been some progress.
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco schools remained closed on Wednesday while representatives from the teachers union and the San Francisco Unified School District continued to negotiate terms.
Thousands of educators rallied in Mission Dolores Park on Wednesday to demand a 9% raise and fully-covered family health care.
The district has offered teachers a 6% raise and $24,000 benefit allowance to help cover health care costs, but at the cost of teachers sacrificing their retirement options.
Those two issues are the major sticking points in negotiations that both sides have progressed since the strike began on Monday.
What teachers want
District representatives and teachers have agreed on three issues: the use of artificial intelligence, services for families experiencing homelessness and steps toward putting long-term special education teachers in place.
“What is really the sticking point is that we need these things that we’ve demanded and that our teachers are saying that we need. But, we cannot make cuts to our contract,” Nathalie Hrizi of United Educators of San Francisco said. “What I’m saying (is) there are existing benefits and programs that they want to cut to fund the things we need.”
The UESF president said administrators had said for the last 11 months that none of the stated demands were possible.
“Clearly it is (possible) — when we stand together,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said.Â
“The time is now for SFUSD to fully fund family healthcare, to address special education workloads and provide fair compensation for certified staff that will stabilize our schools and end this strike,” Curiel said.
Rainy day funds
The district has said it is facing a looming $100 million budget shortfall and structural deficit problem and has to make sound financial decisions.
“Under my leadership, SFUSD is on course for fiscal recovery. We do not want to derail that really hard work that we as a community have done,” San Francisco Unified Superintendent Maria Su said.Â
Teachers have said there is money to be found and that the district is saving money for a rainy day fund — a day they say has arrived.
If the district continues to save that money, educators say, SFUSD will become less attractive to families, and will lose viability in the years to come.
“Doing things now, investing in students and teachers now is 100% going to pay off,” Hrizi said.
District representatives said they are ready to continue negotiations until a deal is reached to get teachers and students back in the classroom.
“We will continue to work around the clock to come to an agreement that honors our educators and is also fiscally responsible,” Su said.
The Source: San Francisco teachers, San Francisco Unified School District