San Francisco’s public school system remained shuttered Wednesday as teachers continued their strike for a third day, leaving approximately 50,000 students out of school. The strike, involving about 6,000 teachers represented by the United Educators of San Francisco, centers on demands for better wages, health benefits, and increased resources for students with special needs.
The prolonged closure has forced many parents to scramble for childcare solutions while juggling their own work commitments. Connor Haught, a father of two daughters, told the Associated Press (AP) that he was trying to balance virtual work meetings with entertaining his children. “The big concern for parents is really the timeline of it all and trying to prepare for how long this could go on,” Haught said.
With schools closed again on Thursday, the district and the union remain at odds over key issues: wages and healthcare benefits. The union initially asked for a 9% raise over two years, while the district countered with a 6% increase over three years, citing a $100 million deficit and state oversight due to a financial crisis.
Superintendent Maria Su urged both sides to reach an agreement, stating that the district presented a counterproposal but union negotiators had left for the day. “We have been ready to negotiate this entire time. We are prepared and committed to getting this agreement done today,” Su said at a morning press conference.
Teachers participating in the strike maintain that their actions are to ensure better learning conditions for students in the long term. Lily Perales, a history teacher at Mission High School, said that the strike is about providing students with stability in the future. Perales stated, “We believe our students deserve to learn safely in schools, and that means having fully staffed schools… and it means to fully fund all of the programs we know the students need the most.”
Families with the San Francisco Parents Coalition also appealed for a swift resolution. Mahdi Rahimi, a parent within the coalition, stated, “Everyday that the schools are closed, it comes with incredible pain and cost to many, many, children.”
Sonia Sanabria, a cook and parent, has had to stay home from to care for her daughter and nephew, giving them reading, writing, and math assignments. “If the strike continues, I’ll have to ask my job for a leave of absence, but it will affect me because if I don’t work, I don’t earn,” Sanabria told the AP. Despite the hardship, she supports the teachers’ demands, saying, “I just hope they reach agreement soon.”