San Francisco schools are closed indefinitely while teachers go on strike. File Image courtesy of UPI
Schools closed as teachers in San Francisco began a strike Monday after struggling to come to an agreement with the school district over pay and health care costs.
It’s the first time in 50 years that the district has seen a teacher strike. It affects 50,000 students.
The United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District spent the weekend working toward an agreement, which has been negotiated for almost a year. The union represents about 6,000 educators, counselors and nurses.
Another union that represents 253 administrators and principals has also launched a sympathy strike.
“The affordability crisis for those of us devoted to San Francisco’s next generation is real,” Cassondra Curiel, the president of United Educators of San Francisco, said in a statement to The New York Times. “Enough is enough.”
SFUSD spokesperson Laura Dudnick said of the weekend negotiations, “We were able to make progress in a number of areas.”
The last teachers’ strike in the city lasted seven weeks in 1979. There is no end date set for this strike.
Health care costs are at the forefront of the strike. The district pays for individual coverage, but teachers with families pay about $1,200 a month, which will soon increase to about $1,500 per month, the union said. And San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States.
“Some of us only ever see half of our paychecks after health care premiums are taken out. This is not acceptable or sustainable,” Teanna Tillery, a member of the union’s bargaining team, said at a press briefing last week, The Times reported.
The union wants coverage paid at 100% and a 9% to 14% raise over two years. The district’s latest proposal is a 6% raise over two years and paying for a large portion of family premiums for three years, using funds from a local tax. After three years, it would either stop paying or find the funding.
“This is a win-win proposal,” District Superintendent Maria Su said at a press conference Friday, The Times reported. “I know this situation is distressing for families and students.”
Saturday evening, the district offered $24,000 health benefits allowance and a 6% raise, but with cuts in other areas, KTVU reported.
“We will not sell out our students or our members to get a wage increase when we know the district has the money to do that,” Curiel said.
“We don’t have unlimited money and have to make difficult choices,” Dudnick said.
School funding in California is at a record high per student, but schools have struggled as fewer students are enrolled. Higher absenteeism since the pandemic has caused funding issues because schools get funds based on attendance.
“Even though California’s legislature and governor have provided a lot of funding to our schools, it’s just proving to not be enough,” said Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction.
Ryan Alias, a high school English teacher, told The Times that he pays $1,500 per month for health insurance for his wife and two daughters.
“This is a life-changing amount of money,” Alias said. “For my family and many of us, this is a stability issue for this district. We need to know we’re comfortable putting down roots in this district and growing our skills here and continuing to be part of the community.”
This week in Washington
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice Headquarters on Friday. Justice Department officials have announced that the FBI has arrested Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
