For the last 10 months, San Francisco educators have been bargaining for smaller class sizes, more resources for special ed, and increased pay, among other things. Teachers have been working under an expired union contract since June.
Last month, KALW spoke to Cassondra Curiel, Union President of United Educators of San Francisco.
“We want to focus on our students, we want to focus on education, and it’s up to the district whether or not we can fully put all of that focus in there. And that means they have to come more seriously to the table.”
Sunday’s strike vote will be open to about 6,000 members of the teacher’s union, which includes teachers, counselors, aides and other staff. The vote will turn up the heat on the ongoing labor negotiations at a time when the district is trying to encourage enrollment. The 2024-2025 Pre-K-12 enrollment fair is scheduled to take place on October 21.
However, even if union members vote to authorize a strike, the union would need to take several additional steps before members could enact a work stoppage.
First, the union and the district would need to reach an impasse, at which point they could enter into a process of mediation and fact-finding. If all that fails, the union could choose to call a strike, or, to continue bargaining. This process can take months.
KALW reached out to the Superintendent’s office, but we did not hear back from them before airtime. There are a handful of upcoming bargaining sessions scheduled, and district officials have said they will continue to work in good faith with the union to reach an agreement.
