A San Francisco teachers union threatened to go on strike if their pay demands are not met when school returns, meanwhile the district is bracing itself for tough financial times.Â
San Francisco Unified School District Board (SFUSD), the seventh-largest school district in California that serves over 50,000 students, is reportedly projected to struggle to meet the financial demands of operating the school system due to a “combination of lower revenue connected to declining enrollment” as other sources of income are set to soon expire, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
However, while they face budget woes, the United Educators of San Francisco, which represents more than 6,500 district employees, held a strike readiness meeting at a middle school in May in order to pressure district officials to increase pay. They released a video signaling they will go on strike in the fall. While negotiations for a new teacher contract are underway between the union and district officials, the district’s proposal of a 5% increase is not enough, according to the union’s May 24th Bargaining Report.
“We certainly haven’t seen eye to eye at the table,” Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, told the Chornicle. “We need to attract folks to see this profession as a sustainable way to live, especially in this city.”
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While staff demands higher pay, the proposed 5% wage increase would “deplete” the $50 million allocated for raises and other costs included in a new agreement, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Chronicle reported the mounting issues SFUSD faces could force staff layoffs and program cuts to cover the costs of labor, pension, and employee benefits, even after recently approving a $1.28 billion operating budget. In recent years, the school district benefited from a state surplus and pandemic funds to meet their budget needs. However, California is now…
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