San Francisco teachers union strike leaves 50,000 children out of school

Teachers successful San Francisco are striking for wellness benefits and amended wages, leaving astir 50,000 students retired of the classroom.

The San Francisco Unified School District’s 120 schools were acceptable to stay closed connected Wednesday arsenic astir 6,000 nationalist schoolhouse teachers continued their strike. In summation to higher wages and amended wellness benefits, the teachers are besides seeking much resources for students with peculiar needs. 

The national initially asked for a 9% rise implicit 2 years, saying it could assistance offset the outgo of surviving successful San Francisco, according to The Associated Press. The outlet noted that, astatine the aforesaid time, the territory is facing a $100 cardinal shortage and is nether authorities oversight due to the fact that of the longstanding fiscal crisis. The territory rejected the 9% inquire and countered with a 6% wage summation paid implicit 3 years, the AP reported.

SCHOOLS THAT LET STUDENTS LEAVE CLASS TO PROTEST ICE HAVE FAILING ACADEMIC RECORDS

Teachers, students and supporters picket extracurricular of Mission High School successful San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

On Tuesday, United Educators of San Francisco said successful a Facebook station that 20,000 radical came to the picket lines to enactment the teachers, hailing it arsenic a motion of "solidarity." This was treble the fig of radical it said were astatine the picket lines connected Monday.

The national added that it was inactive astatine the negotiating array and would proceed to springiness updates arsenic they emerged. The radical said that connected Wednesday, aft the greeting pickets, determination would beryllium a gathering "to make a elephantine quality banner — thousands volition usage our bodies to spell a 100 by 300 ft 'STRIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS' connection connected the beach."

Negotiations, which had been ongoing for astir a year, broke down contempt San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., urging the 2 sides to proceed discussions and not to unopen down schools, the AP reported.

"We volition proceed to basal unneurotic until we triumph the schools our students merit and the contracts our members deserve," Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said astatine a Monday greeting quality conference, the AP reported.

English and Physical Education teacher Alison White leads a chant arsenic teachers and San Francisco Unified School District unit articulation a citywide protestation to request a just declaration astatine Mission High School, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, successful San Francisco. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

TUBERCULOSIS OUTBREAK LINKED TO PROMINENT HIGH SCHOOL, OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING

San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said connected Monday that the territory had enactment unneurotic a broad bundle contempt fiscal difficulties, and was awaiting a counteroffer from the union, according to the AP.

"This is simply a viable offer. It is an connection that we tin afford," Su said. "We volition beryllium astatine the array and we volition enactment for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes to get to a afloat agreement. I bash not privation a prolonged strike."

On Tuesday, Su said that determination had been progress, including enactment for stateless families, AI grooming for teachers and establishing champion practices for the usage of AI tools, the AP reported.

Several teachers person cited outgo of surviving concerns arsenic a crushed for demanding the higher wages, with immoderate saying they can't spend to unrecorded successful San Francisco. Atria Rondone, a 4th people teacher who has worked successful the territory for 11 years, said successful a video posted by the national that she is moving 2 jobs to marque ends meet.

"As a azygous ma surviving present successful San Francisco, I can't spend conscionable maine and my lad connected my salary. So, I person to person a 2nd job, and his healthcare is simply a immense interaction to maine paying for that by myself," Rondone said. "We besides truly request fully-staffed schools."

Teachers, students and supporters picket extracurricular of Mission High School successful San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.  (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

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Teachers successful San Francisco person received enactment from different unions, including the Chicago Teachers Union, which said successful a connection that it "proudly stands successful solidarity" with the strikers successful California.

"Their combat for livable wages, peculiar acquisition relief, capable staffing, enactment for unhoused students and sanctuary protections for migrant families nether national onslaught is 1 that our members and educators crossed this state cognize well: schoolhouse districts that ever look to find wealth for bureaucracy but ne'er capable for the classrooms," the Chicago Teachers Union's connection read.

The American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten besides joined striking educators successful San Francisco, signaling enactment from the monolithic union.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.