San Francisco teachers keep schools closed amid stalled contract talks

San Francisco Unified School District schools remained largely closed after thousands of teachers and other unionized district employees walked off the job, marking the city's first teachers strike since 1979. The walkout, which began Monday, shut classrooms for roughly 50,000 students and produced picket lines at scores of sites across the city as negotiators resumed bargaining the same afternoon.

Union leaders framed the strike around wages, family health care and special education staffing. United Educators of San Francisco president Cassondra Curiel said the cost of health coverage was driving staff out of the district: “We are facing an affordability crisis. Family healthcare premiums of $1,500 per month are pushing excellent teachers and support staff out of our district. This week, we said enough is enough.”

The union represents roughly 6,000 teachers, librarians, social workers and nurses working across the city’s schools, and picketing was visible at what on-the-ground reporters estimated to be about 130 worksites. The district closed what it described as about 120 schools and offered independent study options for some students, while urging families to consult district online resources for learning, food, child care and other supports.

District negotiators presented what they characterized as a proposal to address compensation and benefits: a 6 percent salary increase spread over two years and a health benefits allowance of $24,000 per year. The union said it is seeking a larger wage package and stronger guarantees of fully funded family health coverage, including an initial ask of 9 percent over two years. Union leaders also pressed for more staffing and resources for students with special needs, saying current shortages undermine classroom safety and instruction.

Negotiations resumed Monday afternoon at the War Memorial Veterans Building after last-ditch talks over the preceding weekend failed to produce a contract. UESF leaders said bargaining would continue until the union's priorities were secured; Mission Local quoted a union vice president, Natalie Hrizi, saying, “The time is now… If we have to march to their houses, we’ll march to their houses, and no one sleeps until we get the agreement our students and our educators deserve.” The California Teachers Association president, David Goldberg, addressed the rally and told teachers, “You have already won.”

District officials stressed the cost of lost classroom time and appealed for a rapid resolution. SFUSD spokeswoman Laura Dudnick said, “We know that every day that students are not in school, it’s a day of missed learning and missed connections with their peers and teachers. We want this strike to end.” Superintendent Maria Su warned that “every day this strike continues has real consequences.”

The strike has immediate operational and community impacts: families reported scrambling for child care and meal access, and the district advised parents to use its website for information about available supports. A centralized rally drew thousands to Civic Center, where teachers waved banners reading “WE CAN'T WAIT” and “FAIR CONTRACT NOW,” and high-profile political figures joined picket lines and called for continued talks. Mayor Daniel Lurie urged both sides to keep negotiating and to prioritize keeping schools open; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likewise urged dialogue rather than prolonged closures.

The last San Francisco teachers strike in 1979 stretched nearly seven weeks. City and statewide observers said the outcome here could reverberate elsewhere in California, where other districts have authorized or are weighing labor actions. Negotiators agreed to continue talks into the evening, and the district announced schools would remain closed Tuesday while the parties work to narrow outstanding gaps. No end date for the strike has been set.