More than 5,200 members of the United Educators of San Francisco voted overwhelmingly to authorize the union’s leadership to call a strike as teachers push for more public education funding.
The union, which represents San Francisco Unified School District workers such as educators, nurses, counselors, and psychologists, voted in favor by 97.6% to pave the way for a potential strike.
“Our community is standing with us in our fight for the consistent classroom teachers, special education supports, and stable programs our students and families need and deserve,” UESF wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The post said the school district was placing money into savings accounts and contracting out work to traveling psychologists or non-district special education support staff.
The last time San Francisco educators went on strike was in 1979, according to the union. The strike lasted for seven weeks.
The union didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday via email.
In a post on Sunday, the San Francisco Unified School District’s Superintendent Maria Su said they “remain committed to negotiating in good faith with UESF and working toward an agreement that supports our students, educators, and school communities.”
A special Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Wednesday that will focus on labor negotiations, which includes a resolution that would allow the superintendent to make “necessary operational decisions in the event of a strike,” the post said.
The strike authorization vote came on the same day as educators in Southern California also signaled they were gearing up to head to the picket lines to demand better pay and working conditions.
United Teachers Los Angeles members also gave their leadership authorization to call a strike. Another union — Local 99 of Service Employees International Union — that represents educators in Southern California is also scheduled to vote on whether to authorize a strike starting on Monday.
