There is plenty of finger-pointing going on with the SF teachers' strike, but what seems clear is that the union may be sensing their upper hand at this point, and a resolution before Thursday seems unlikely.

San Francisco teachers are on strike for a third day today, and the union was organizing a big photo op with a human banner at Ocean Beach saying "STRIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS" — which apparently happened despite the rain. A 5 pm rally  is also planned outside the War Memorial Building on Van Ness, where negotiations have been ongoing.

But negotiations were stopped short Tuesday night, representatives for the SF Unified School District say, because union negotiators abruptly left the bargaining table before the district could present its latest offer. The Chronicle reports that the district says it was giving updates every 30 minutes to the union reps, but when they returned to the table late Tuesday night, they were told the union negotiators had all gone home.

Union leaders reportedly dismissed the negotiators at 10 pm, telling the district they would return at 11 am.

SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su was pointing the finger at the union for not waiting longer Tuesday night to receive what she says is a "strong" offer.

"We have been ready to negotiate this entire time," Su said in a statement to the Chronicle. "We are prepared and committed to getting this agreement done today. We all must act with urgency to get this done. We have a strong offer. Our proposal is more than about making SFUSD an attractive place to work. It’s about ensuring educators can afford to live and raise their families in this city."

The union did not comment on Tuesday's negotiations.

The district maintains that they have remain fiscally responsible in whatever offer they put on the table — and the threat of state intervention looms, including a state veto of any tentative agreement, if it seems financially untenable.

Parents of SF schoolkids are staring down a possible fourth day of childcare arrangements on Thursday if no agreement is reached Wednesday.

One parent, Meredith Osborn, expressed frustration to the Chronicle saying she supports the teachers but, "I really wish there was more focus on getting movement in the negotiations than crafting the perfect photo op for the press."

The union issued an update Tuesday saying, "Our city and members are united, and we know SFUSD has the money to prioritize a fair contract. The district continues to show a lack of urgency to reach an agreement that centers on our students and their needs."

The mayor, meanwhile, says he just wants this thing to end. In a statement to the Chronicle, Mayor Daniel Lurie says, "We’ve been supporting both parties over the last few days. I don’t want to get into the blame game. That’s not my role."

We'll update you if it is confirmed that the strike will go on into a fourth day.

Previously: SF Teachers’ Strike to Bring Human Banner to Ocean Beach Wednesday

Photo via UESF/Facebook