Following two strike votes and the release of a fact-finding report, the San Francisco teachers' union says it will begin its first labor strike in almost 50 years on Monday. It is getting down to the wire and looking more likely that a historic teachers' strike could begin Monday, following a yearlong impasse between the SF Unified School District and the teachers' union over wage increases, benefits, and more. As the district struggles with a significant budget deficit, union reps insist that the distrct has reserve funds they should be tapping in order to meet teachers' needs.
West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers first took to the picket lines Thursday morning, demanding smaller class sizes, more resources for special education, and higher teacher salaries. RELATED: Still no deal in West Contra Costa teacher strike over staffing issues, pay The union wants a 5% increase over the next two years, and the district is only offering a one-time 3% raise.
Schumer, who has led the Democratic caucus in the Senate since 2017, voted against the resolution. However, the group of Senate Democrats who voted for the deal had conferred with Schumer through the negotiation process, and thus had his tacit approval. The deal, which many other Democrats have denounced as "terrible" and a betrayal, was advanced in a vote on Sunday evening, in one of the first steps to reopen the government after a historic shutdown.
