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Educators urge San Francisco Unified to settle contract now, warn strike is likely
Summary
Dozens of teachers, parents and union allies told the Board of Education on Oct. 10 that pay and housing costs are forcing educators out of the district and urged trustees to settle contract talks; multiple speakers said they are prepared to support a strike if the district does not meet union demands.
Dozens of educators, parents and labor allies used public comment at the San Francisco Board of Education’s Oct. 10 meeting to press the district to settle contract negotiations with the Union of Early Educators and Special Education Faculty (UESF) and other bargaining units, saying low pay and the Bay Area housing market are forcing teachers and paraprofessionals out of the city.
“Let's settle our contract now,” a community speaker said during the comment period, summarizing the sentiment echoed across the room. Maria Martinez, a math teacher at John O’Connell High School, told the board she is considering leaving the district if compensation does not change: “I’m here to fight — and if it takes a strike, I will do that,” she said, describing having been priced out of neighboring cities and the impossibility of raising a family on current pay.
Union leaders and rank‑and‑file educators described long commutes, multiple jobs to make ends meet, and expanded workloads in special education. Betty Robinson Harris, who identified herself as the UESF early education committee chair, said the union represents a broad set of educators and urged trustees to support salary increases, professional development, and improved working conditions for early educators and paraprofessionals.
Speakers and allied labor groups framed the bargaining impasse as a threat to school stability and student learning. Several community supporters — including members of the San Francisco Labor Council and the ILWU — said they would back educators if a strike occurs and urged the board to use district reserves and other options to resolve remaining issues quickly.
Board members acknowledged the urgency. During later agenda items and discussion on district data, several trustees pressed district staff for a plan to address equity gaps and staffing shortages; Superintendent Vincent Matthews said his leadership team was making the performance of African American students a top priority and promised a response and a plan to the board in November.
The board did not take any public action on teacher bargaining at the Oct. 10 meeting. Several labor and community speakers asked the superintendent and trustees to accelerate negotiations and to prioritize measures that would make it feasible for educators to live in the communities they serve.
