As expected, an overwhelming majority of San Francisco public school teachers have voted to authorize a walkout — which would be the first teachers’ strike in this city since the late 1970s.
A full 97.6 percent of the 5,202 United Educators San Francisco members who took part voted “yes,” the teacher’s union announced on Saturday morning. That percentage is in line with the 99.34 percent of teachers who voted to authorize a strike in December’s preliminary vote.
Under state law, a strike is not authorized until the completion of an independent “fact-finding” process. The non-binding report from that process is expected to be delivered on or about Wednesday, Feb. 4, meaning teachers could walk off the job shortly thereafter.
If and when the teachers announce a strike date, Mission Local has learned that principals and administrators will hold an emergency meeting to vote on whether to hold a sympathy strike. In the event such a vote comes to pass, it is all but certain that the principals and administrators will vote for solidarity with the teachers.
“We are committed to negotiating in good faith with our teachers’ union and remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement,” said the district in a statement. “Avoiding a strike and minimizing disruption for students remains our priority.”
Union officers and front-line teachers said the sides remained far apart on pay raises, healthcare for dependents, and various proposals for students, including “sanctuary” policies. They expressed a willingness to strike befitting the gaudy vote numbers.
“They’re sitting on hundreds of millions of reserves,” said teachers union president Cassondra Curiel.
The district has moved to shave more than $100 million off the budget pointing to declining enrollment and shortfalls. The union, however, has accused the district of failing to spend allocated dollars for years, leading to revenue surpluses in years where it claimed shortfalls.
Mary Lavalais, a paraeducator at San Francisco Community School in the Excelsior, said she voted “yes” on the strike due to the district’s rejection of the union’s proposals.
“They have a lot of money, rainy-day-fund money. It’s storming and they need to use it,” she told Mission Local earlier this week. “If you have money and you’re firing people, getting rid of paraeducators who are delivering direct services to the children, that’s very immoral.”
District observers have questioned SFUSD negotiation strategy, accusing the district of passivity. The precondition imposed by the district that every benefit awarded to the teacher’s union must be countered with a concession was seen as a non-starter and a virtual guarantee that negotiations would fail and a strike would ensue.
In the event a walkout ensues, district personnel bemoaned that all the leverage would sit with the union, not the district.
The state mandates that districts must offer 180 days of instruction per school year. With teachers poised to strike and principals and administrators likely to follow, such instruction would have to come at the end of any potential work stoppage. In the event of a lengthy stoppage, this would eat into summer break.