San Francisco teachers strike over wages and health benefits

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About 6,000 public schoolteachers in San Francisco went on strike Monday, the city's first such walkout in nearly 50 years.

The strike comes after teachers and the district failed to reach an agreement over higher wages, health benefits, and more resources for students with special needs. The San Francisco Unified School District closed all 120 of its schools and said it would offer independent study to some of its 50,000 students.

“We will continue to stand together until we win the schools our students deserve and the contracts our members deserve," Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said at a Monday morning news conference.

Teachers with the union were joining the picket line after last-ditch negotiations over the weekend failed to reach a new contract. Mayor Daniel Lurie and Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had urged the two sides to keep talking rather than shut down schools.

Union members planned a Monday afternoon rally at San Francisco City Hall. Negotiations were scheduled to resume around midday. Schools will remain closed Tuesday, the district announced.

“We look forward to receiving the union's counteroffer,” said San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su. She told reporters on Monday that the district had put forward a comprehensive package despite entrenched financial difficulties.

“This is a viable offer. It is an offer that we can afford,” Su said. “We will be at the table and we will stay for as long as it takes to get to a full agreement. I do not want a prolonged strike.”

Lily Perales, a history teacher at Mission High School, said many union members can’t afford to live in San Francisco anymore.

“Too many of my colleagues have been pushed out of the city because of the high cost of living, and with our current contract it’s not enough,” she said from a picket line Monday. “We’re willing to be on strike until all of our demands are met.”

Her colleague Aaron Hart, a photography and media arts teacher at Mission High, said schools are understaffed.

“That’s why we’re out here. We just really want stability for our students,” he said.

The union and the district have been negotiating for nearly a year, with teachers demanding fully funded family health care, salary raises and the filling of vacant positions impacting special education and services.

The teachers also want the district to enact policies to support homeless and immigrant students and families.

The union is asking for a 9% raise over two years, which would mean an additional $92 million per year for the district. They say that money could come from reserve funds that could be directed back to classrooms and school sites.

SFUSD, which faces a $100 million deficit and is under state oversight because of a long-standing financial crisis, rejected the idea. Officials countered with a 6% wage increase paid over three years. Su said the offer also includes bonuses for all employees if there is a surplus by the 2027-28 school year.

A report by a neutral fact-finding panel released last week recommended a compromise of a 6% increase over two years, largely siding with the district’s arguments that it is financially constrained.

The union said San Francisco teachers receive some of the lowest contributions to their health care costs in the Bay Area, pushing many to leave. Su said the district offered two options: the district paying 75% of family health coverage to the insurance provider Kaiser or offering an annual allowance of $24,000 for teachers to choose their health care plan.

Lurie, who helped broker an agreement that ended a hotel workers union strike after he was elected and before taking office, said that the city agencies were coordinating with the district on how to offer support to children and their families.

“I know everyone participating in these negotiations is committed to schools where students thrive and our educators feel truly supported, and I will continue working to ensure that,” Lurie said in a social media post Sunday.

The strike has left parents scrambling to find programs or care for their children.

Rachel Machta, who has a 4-year-old daughter in transitional kindergarten, said her family has been lucky that an after-school program her child attends is offering a full-day camp this week.

“They have been extremely flexible and wonderful to work with and have offered a donation-based camp this week,” Machta said.

Machta, who, along with her husband, works full-time, said that other mothers in their Mission Terrace neighborhood are offering to hold camps for parents who may have no other place to take their kids.

“Everyone is sharing resources, and our community is coming together to make sure there is coverage," she said. “I just want to give a huge shout-out to Mission Terrace,” she said.

Teachers in other major California cities were also preparing to strike. San Diego teachers indicated they're ready to walk off the job next month for the first time in 30 years over a stalemate with the school district about special education staffing and services. And members of United Teachers Los Angeles voted overwhelmingly last month to authorize their leadership to call a strike if negotiations with the LA Unified School District fall apart.

A similar strike-authorization vote by the school system’s other largest union, Local 99 of Service Employees International Union, is scheduled to begin next week.

Associated Press reporter Christopher Weber contributed from Los Angeles.

English and Physical Education teacher Alison White leads a chant as teachers and San Francisco Unified School District staff join a city-wide protest to demand a fair contract at Mission High School, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in San Francisco. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Math teacher Mar Martinez, center, joins teachers and San Francisco Unified School District staff join a city-wide protest to demand a fair contract while at Mission High School, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in San Francisco. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Teachers picket in front of Mission High School in San Francisco on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Teachers picket in front of Mission High School in San Francisco on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

FILE - A pedestrian walks past a San Francisco Unified School District office building in San Francisco, Feb. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

MILAN (AP) — Three weeks after the United States beat Canada in the Olympic hockey finals, the Americans overcame their neighbors again to win Paralympic gold and complete the sweep at Milan Cortina.

In front of a packed arena, Jack Wallace scored a hat trick to help the U.S. beat Canada 6-2 in Sunday’s Para ice hockey final and become the first nation to win all three of the hockey tournaments at the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. There is currently no women’s division at the Paralympics as it is classified as an open-gender sport.

Kayden Beasley, Declan Farmer — the tournament’s MVP — and Brody Roybal scored the other goals for the U.S. Liam Hickey bagged both goals for Canada, which pushed its rivals hard before conceding three in the final period.

“I’m glad we got it done because I think there’s a little bit more pressure with the men and women getting the golds too,” U.S. captain Josh Pauls said. “But I’m happy we could do it for USA hockey and I think it really just shows like how much they … invest in the grassroots programs because we have so many young players coming up and playing pivotal roles on our teams.”

One of those he’s seen progress at close hand is Wallace.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Wallace said with a broad smile when asked about his hat trick.

The 27-year-old Wallace, who grew up loving hockey, had his right leg amputated above the knee after a water-skiing accident at age 10 and thought his dreams of playing the sport at the highest level were over before discovering Para ice hockey.

“I think watching Jack Wallace go from the player he was when he first started, from a kid who just wanted to be back on the ice after losing his leg and now to watch him score a hat trick, it’s just so awesome to be a part of people’s lives and to watch them succeed and put in the work,” Pauls said.

“I was on the ice for the first time when he was on his sled and so to watch those guys blossom is just the ultimate honor and to be their teammate is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Pauls said.

While the Olympics saw the U.S. men’s team win gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, it’s a very different story at the Paralympics.

It was a fifth straight title for the U.S. and Pauls — Wallace now has three and several of his teammates have four.

“I mean it’s kind of crazy, I can’t believe it,” Pauls said with a laugh. “I mean I don’t think you ever start out wanting to win five consecutive and to be the most decorated player in the sport and so I think this team is just so special.”

The U.S. has won six of the past seven editions of the Winter Paralympics. It was a third straight loss in the final for Canada, which won its only para ice hockey gold on Italian ice, in Turin in 2006.

Earlier, China claimed a second successive bronze medal as it fought back from conceding two goals in the opening three minutes to beat Czech Republic 3-2.

Sunday’s final set a new record attendance for the sport at a major tournament as 10,795 fans filled the near-capacity stands.

The mark had been set in the opening match of the tournament with the preliminary round game between the U.S. and host nation Italy drawing 8,992 spectators.

“I don’t think I could have imagined this,” Pauls said. "I mean it’s just so cool. I know this building was packed for the men’s and women’s Olympic finals and to be packed for us, I think, shows the parity of sled hockey compared to stand up ice hockey.

“And I think we had some really passionate fans. I didn’t realize so much of Italy was Canadian! And there was definitely some chants, but I’m glad we could kind of silence them a little bit ... it was such a great atmosphere to play in.”

AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

China's players celebrate after taking a bronze medal during the ice hockey bronze medal match between China and Czechia at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Canada's players reacts after loosing the ice hockey gold medal match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

United States' players celebrate after winning the gold medal at the ice hockey final match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

United States's Brody Roybal and his teammate Jack Wallace celebrate on the podium after winning the gold medal at the ice hockey of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

United States's Jack Wallace celebrates after winning the gold medal at the end of the ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

US players celebrate after winning the gold medal at the end of the ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

United States' players celebrates after winning the ice hockey gold medal match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

United States's Jack Wallace celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a gold medal ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)