News Brief
Monday, February 2, 2026 — 10:07 am
Teachers in the Los Angeles and San Francisco unified school districts have voted to authorize strikes.
United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing roughly 35,000 teachers across the Los Angeles Unified School District, voted 94% in favor of a strike on Saturday.
More than 5,200 San Francisco teachers, 97.6%, followed suit Saturday, paving the way for what could be their first teacher strike in 50 years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
In December, the UTLA declared an impasse, and the parties are now prepared to enter fact-finding, a mediation process in which a neutral panel will review each side’s positions and issue a report. United Educators of San Francisco is also in a fact-finding stage.
If no agreement is reached, both unions are prepared to strike.
“For nearly a year, educators have stood united around our contract demands because we know what our schools need,” said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz in a statement. “We are in classrooms every day, and we know what it takes to truly serve our students and their families. Yet while our school community faces growing hardship, the district has chosen to ignore our concerns.”
United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel said in a press release that “instead of siphoning money out of our schools and into savings accounts, or contracting out to traveling psychologists or non-district special education support staff, SFUSD should be prioritizing stability for our students.”
Before mediation, LAUSD said it reached a $3.1 billion agreement with each of its labor partners that extended health benefits and would cover 100% of premiums for employees, their dependents, and retirees for 2026 and 2027.
Last week, it also came to an agreement with Teamsters Local 572, which represents roughly 3,200 classified supervisors, including administrative assistants and food services managers.
“Our priority is maintaining stable, welcoming schools and minimizing disruption to student learning,” the LAUSD wrote in a press release. “We value our educators and the essential work they do every day, and we will continue to engage constructively through the established bargaining process.”
San Francisco Unified Superintendent Maria Su said the district is working hard to reach a fair agreement.
“We are committed to negotiating in good faith with our teachers union and remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement,” district spokesperson Laura Dudnick said in a statement, according to the Chronicle. “Avoiding a strike and minimizing disruption for students remains our priority.”
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