Over 6,000 educators joined forces and shut down schools in San Francisco. Lasting four days, the strike was settled with some reform victories and lessons about how class consciousness is alive among workers. Teachers, paraeducators, security guards, therapists, social workers, librarians, other school workers and the janitors took part. The strike showed the potential for workers to organize and fight for our class. Members of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) were active in the strike, bringing communist politics to the picket lines.

The Party has been active in the schools fights since the 1970s.  In fact, a few of our members were involved in the last teachers’ strike in 1979.

We have party members in the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) union. We are in the union’s delegate assembly, executive board, bargaining team and among retirees. We are also members and leaders in the fights against anti-Palestine genocide and against Zionism in the schools and against ICE terror.  

UESF focused on five demands:  two for the “common good” (demands which affect our communities) about sanctuary schools and housing, and demands around special education, fully-funded health care and wages.  

Workers are united in demanding better conditions 

Over 97 percent of the members of UESF voted to go on strike, and because the strike was so strong, the District had to shut the schools down on Day One, and they stayed shut for the duration.

Related to this, 30-40 rank-and-file members of the Oakland Education Association (OEA) had a wildcat walkout from their training in solidarity with UESF. Members of OEA voted to strike and may go out very soon.

On day one of the strike at a big rally of around 5,000-10,000 people, several members of PLP passed out 800 leaflets, and over the course of the strike, we passed out all of our CHALLENGEs and made contacts. 

Strikers and their supporters picketed for two hours in the morning at schools and then, every afternoon, had city-wide actions for two to three hours.  One day we even had an action at noon and a massive one at 5:00 p.m. where bargaining took place.

The working class was united in supporting the strike

Before and during the strike, there was tremendous solidarity from students, families, community members, and retirees at a town hall forum and at all other actions.  We had a hundred plus people doing nonstop picketing and chanting.  Many chants reflected our demands for housing and sanctuary schools. 

At the big community rallies, over 10,000-20,000 people participated, made a pro-strike human art piece on the beach, marched in a working-class community and in front of the District offices and City Hall.  We then marched around the block where negotiations were taking place–IN THE RAIN!!!  

Due to our militancy and energy, the strike quickly won some demands, but showed the limits of reform demands. For the first time ever, in our settlement, we have token statements for shelter for our unhoused families and for making our kids safe from ICE raids at the schools. 

Reform struggles can lead to opportunities to raise revolutionary politics

We got significant raises for the classified staff (paras), in fact more of a percentage than the certificated staff.  This was a conscientious demand since most of the paras are women of color.  A stand against racism and sexism! 

We did not get fully funded dependent care right away, but a partial discount the first year and the next year, 100 percent.  
For the first time ever, paras will meet with the special education teachers that they work with away from the classroom to talk about how to help their students with special needs.  

We are a way from revolution, but as Lenin wrote, strikes are schools of war. They can help workers learn how to organize for revolution. This was a momentous strike, one which showed the potential for the working class to fight and win against the ruling class and its sell-out politicians. It also was a great attempt to put the Party forward in a short amount of time.  We realize that workers need to run the schools, not just work in them. Under capitalism, the schools are owned and run by the ruling class, preparing our students for jobs doing menial labor and as cannon fodder for war. Only after we destroy this system will we have schools that work for us!