Historic ‘Great Strike’ in San Francisco after 50 years! 120 schools locked, education of 50 thousand students halted:

San Francisco, California). A different scene was seen on the streets of San Francisco, one of America’s most expensive cities, on Monday. About 6,000 government school teachers have taken to the streets with their demands. The move comes after talks failed between the United Educators of San Francisco and the district administration demanding salary increases, better health facilities and resources for special students.

Surprisingly, this is the first major strike of this kind in the history of San Francisco in the last 50 years.

Teaching halted in 120 schools, students in distress

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has closed all 120 of its public schools due to the strike. Due to this, regular studies of about 50,000 students have been stopped. The administration said that they are trying to provide the facility of ‘independent study’ (studying from home) to some students, but education at the ground level is completely at a standstill.

‘The strike will not stop until there is a contract’

Union President Cassandra Curiel has bluntly said that this fight will continue until the teachers get a respectable contract. “We will stand up for the future of our students and the rights of our members,” he said at the press conference.

However, Mayor Daniel Lurie and veteran leader Nancy Pelosi have appealed to both sides to sit down at the table and negotiate instead of closing schools.

After all, what are the demands of the teachers?

There is a tussle going on between the union and the district for the last one year. Following are the main demands of the teachers:

Salary increment: union in two years 9% increase While the administration is proposing only 6% in three years.

Health Care: Teachers want the administration to bear the entire expense of ‘Family Health Care’. Teachers claim they have the lowest health benefits in the ‘Bay Area’, leading to people quitting their jobs.

resources: Demand for more budget for special education (students with special needs) and immediate filling of vacant posts.

Policy for Students: Creating concrete policies to support homeless and immigrant students.

Administration stuck in financial crisis

The administration (SFUSD) argues that it is already running a $100 million deficit and is under strict state financial oversight. The administration says that they are so financially constrained that it is impossible for them to give a 9% increase. At the same time, teachers say that this money can be withdrawn from the ‘Reserve Fund’, which should be used directly for the betterment of schools.

A new round of negotiations was about to begin between the administration and the union on Monday afternoon, on which the eyes of not only America but education experts around the world are fixed.