San Francisco public school teachers are making national headlines as they head into day three of a historic strike, with talks between union and district representatives slowly progressing and other districts across the state considering similar action.
As SFist reported Tuesday, classes at San Francisco Unified School District were cancelled for Wednesday as contract negotiations continued into Tuesday evening. SFist took part in Tuesday’s march, which began at Dolores Park and ended at City Hall by way of SFUSD’s headquarters on Franklin Street. Organizers estimated that 20,000 people were in attendance Wednesday and 15,000 Tuesday.
The United Educators of San Francisco announced on social media Tuesday that part of Wednesday’s strike would include a human banner facilitated by artists David Solnit and Andres Amador at Ocean Beach (1070 Great Highway), spelling out “Strike For Our Students.” Participants are asked to wear red and white.
Per UESF’s social media, union members were told to first picket in the morning at individual school sites. The latest info on the strike, including Wednesday’s banner, can be found on the union’s website.
Meanwhile, national outlets are covering the historic strike, including Politico, the New York Times, and the Associated Press. Both the New York Times and Politico have noted that numerous districts throughout the state are potentially moving toward strikes.
As EdSource reported last year, the California Teachers Association launched a platform supporting 32 California districts through its “We Can’t Wait” campaign to help local teachers’ unions negotiate their contracts and build momentum statewide with mass strikes. Per EdSource, Ken Jacobs, a senior policy adviser at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, likened the campaign to the “Unite Here” labor union, which successfully negotiated new contracts for SF hotel workers at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott after 93 days of striking in 2024.
As Politico reports, San Diego has a one-day strike on the books for February 26, and Los Angeles teachers may strike after a recent walkout in January.
As SFGate reports, 95% of teachers at Dublin Unified School District, which reached an impasse in November, voted to authorize a strike last week if an agreement isn’t reached on a final contract. As the blog Abridged reports, teachers in Sacramento said they were prepared to strike last month, with the Twin Rivers Unified School District voting for a strike by 98% on February 2, per the Sacramento Bee.
As EdSource reported in January, many more school districts in the state have stalled negotiations, including Berkeley and Oakland.
“It’s unacceptable that in the ‘Golden State,’ with its vast wealth and resources, our communities struggle with fully staffing our neighborhood schools,” said David Goldberg, President of the California Teachers Association. “This is why educators are coordinating to take a stand statewide. Together with parents, students and our communities, we demand that districts prioritize resources for our students and ensure California leads the country in providing a quality public education for every student.”
Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist
Previously: Striking SF Teachers Rally In Dolores Park as Tensions Mount Over Deal
