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Blue City’s Teachers Go AWOL, Leave Kids With Empty Schools To Demand Better Pay

San Francisco (© Frank Schulenburg/Wikimedia Commons)

Striking San Francisco public school teachers left schools closed and classrooms empty Monday as they demand a deal for higher pay, fully funded healthcare and more staffing.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he was “disappointed” and “frustrated” that United Educators of San Francisco — which oversees 6,000 unionized public school employees — could not reach an agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) over the weekend, ABC7 News Bay Area reported. Lurie made a plea in a Sunday social media post to delay the strike for three days so about 50,000 students could stay in classrooms while talks continue, but negotiations stalled and employees went forward with their picket plans.

Talks between the two groups Saturday produced an agreement on “sanctuary district” policies, housing and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the school district’s website. The sanctuary policies will block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering schools and prevent staff from assisting in federal immigration enforcement, per the district’s website.

There was no movement on employee wages during Saturday’s talks. The union wants 4.5% raises each year for two years while the district is offering a 6% raise over two years, according to ABC7 News Bay Area.

“I want families to know how deeply we value our educators and committed I am to avoiding a strike,” SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su said during a news briefing Friday. “While I am very disappointed these negotiations did not result in an agreement last night, my team and I are prepared to bargain the entire weekend. I do not want a strike.”

SFUSD schools will remain closed until an agreement is reached, causing uncertainty for families as parents scramble to find childcare. San Francisco educators last walked out in 1979, sparking a six-week strike after the district laid off over 1,000 teachers due to funding cuts, according to SFGate.

Retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic California State Sen. Scott Wiener — a leading candidatefor Pelosi’s House seat — joined Lurie’s eleventh-hour call to delay the strike Sunday, according to Mission Local. After learning talks had stalled, the city began mobilizing efforts to fill the gaps empty schools would leave for students.

“That includes meal distribution for students who rely on school for food access, extra hours at community childcare centers and Rec and Park programs, and community safety resources to keep kids safe if they’re not in school,” Lurie said Sunday.

The United Educators of San Francisco did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.