San Francisco teachers vote to authorize strike for 1st time since 1979

Sunday, February 1, 2026

SF teachers vote to authorize strike for 1st time since 1979

SAN FRANCISCO -- The union representing more than 6,000 San Francisco public school employees voted Saturday to authorize a strike to win improvements in compensation and working conditions.

The United Educators of San Francisco voted 97.6% to give its negotiators the power to call the first strike by the city's teachers in 47 years, the union said. The 1979 strike last seven weeks.

In a statement the union said in part:

"Parents and educators point to a crisis of vacancies and years of high turnover destabilizing the district. Educators are demanding fully funded family healthcare and improvements to working and learning conditions that would keep educators in San Francisco."

A strike could be called as soon as Wednesday, school officials said.

The San Francisco Unified School District has been negotiating for almost a year with the UESF, which includes teachers, substitutes, paraeducators, counselors, social workers and nurses.

The two sides are still apart on union demands for higher pay and fully funded family health care benefits, the district said.

MORE: SF teachers rally outside of district HQ for better contract: 'We are ready to strike if necessary!'

The union is also asking to include the district's existing policies on immigrant rights and homeless families in the contract, the school district said.

The two sides jointly declared an impasse and requested arbitration Jan. 23. A neutral fact-finding committee is expected to recommend an offer on Wednesday If the union rejects the deal, that is when a strike could be declared.

The district's latest offer included a 6% raise over three years, spread out at 2% a year and fully paid family health benefits.

The schools argue that there is no surplus of funds to pay for raises beyond this without making cuts elsewhere.

"SFUSD continues to experience a structural deficit, meaning the district repeatedly plans to spend more money than it brings in," the district said.

The California Department of Education can overrule any financial decision that could put the district at risk, including salary increases, SFUSD said.